A successfully cured case of cytomegalovirus multiple organ infection after hematopoietic stem cell transplantation: A case report

Exp Ther Med. 2023 Aug 4;26(3):454. doi: 10.3892/etm.2023.12153. eCollection 2023 Sep.

Abstract

Cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection is one of the most common infectious complications following hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT); however, cases involving multiple organs at the same time are rare. The present study describes a case of CMV pneumonia combined with CMV DNAemia and CMV cystitis after HSCT. A 33-year-old male patient with acute myeloid leukemia was treated with HSCT. The first month after HSCT, the patient developed a cough and shortness of breath. At 2 months post-HSCT, the patient developed hematuria. The CMV DNA levels in the blood and urine were elevated; bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) was also positive for CMV DNA. Heterotypic cells exhibiting a large nuclear morphology were observed in the BALF and bronchial brushes. Recurrent and progressive ground-glass opacities were evident on chest computed tomography. The patient was diagnosed with CMV pneumonia complicated by CMV DNAemia and CMV cystitis, and was treated with a combination of ganciclovir and foscarnet, along with immunoglobulin therapy. The patient was cured and discharged. It was determined that the CMV DNA in the blood was inconsistent with that in the BALF, which delayed the early diagnosis of CMV pneumonia. The association between T-cell immune function and the therapeutic efficacy for CMV multi-organ infection following HSCT is known to be significant. Moreover, the timely administration of ganciclovir and foscarnet in combination with immunoglobulin therapy demonstrated favorable clinical outcomes.

Keywords: CMV DNAemia; CMV cystitis; CMV pneumonia; HSCT.

Publication types

  • Case Reports

Grants and funding

Funding: This study was supported by grants from The Natural Science Foundation of China (no. 81360012), The Guangxi Natural Science Foundation of China (no. 2016GXNSFAA380269) and The Guangxi Education Science Planning Project of China (no. YCSW2019116).