Myocardial Epstein-Barr virus-associated cardiac smooth-muscle neoplasm arising in a cardiac transplant recipient

Transplantation. 1998 Aug 15;66(3):400-1. doi: 10.1097/00007890-199808150-00020.

Abstract

Epstein-Barr virus-associated smooth muscle proliferations have been reported in immunosuppressed patients with acquired immunodeficiency syndrome and after organ transplantation. We report here a case of a histologically benign case arising in a 48-year-old male who had received immunosuppressive therapy 4 years earlier, after cardiac transplantation. In the necropsy performed for unrelated reasons, an incidental left intramyocardial tumor was discovered. The presence of Epstein-Barr virus was confirmed by EBER-1 in situ hybridization and polymerase chain reaction. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first case of an Epstein-Barr virus-associated smooth muscle proliferation arising in the heart after cardiac transplantation and should be added to the potential complications of this kind of procedure.

Publication types

  • Case Reports
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Aortic Aneurysm, Abdominal / pathology
  • Aortic Rupture / pathology
  • Cell Division / physiology*
  • Coronary Artery Disease / pathology
  • Heart Transplantation / pathology*
  • Heart Ventricles / pathology
  • Herpesviridae Infections / pathology*
  • Herpesvirus 4, Human*
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Muscle, Smooth / pathology*
  • Tumor Virus Infections / pathology*