Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
Case Reports
. 2018 Sep 21;71(5):370-372.
doi: 10.7883/yoken.JJID.2018.039. Epub 2018 May 31.

Cytomegalovirus Pneumonitis in a Patient with Homozygous β-Thalassemia and Splenectomy

Affiliations
Free article
Case Reports

Cytomegalovirus Pneumonitis in a Patient with Homozygous β-Thalassemia and Splenectomy

Konstantinos Fragkiadakis et al. Jpn J Infect Dis. .
Free article

Abstract

Cytomegalovirus (CMV) rarely causes disease in immunocompetent individuals but may cause severe disease in immunocompromised patients. We report the case of a young woman who had undergone multiple transfusions and splenectomy for homozygous β-thalassemia. She presented with prolonged fever and respiratory distress. Although broad-spectrum antibiotic therapy had initially been administered, the patient had clinically deteriorated. Serology and molecular blood testing established CMV infection and viremia. Computed tomography of the chest demonstrated pneumonitis and she was successfully treated with a 3-week administration of ganciclovir. In β-thalassemia patients who undergo splenectomy necessitating multiple blood transfusions, CMV infection should be considered as a differential diagnosis.

Keywords: blood transfusion; cytomegalovirus; pneumonitis; splenectomy; β-thalassemia.

PubMed Disclaimer

Publication types

MeSH terms