Human herpes virus-6 (HHV-6) pneumonitis and meningitis with viraemia in an immunocompetent adult patient
- PMID: 33762272
- PMCID: PMC7993180
- DOI: 10.1136/bcr-2020-239220
Human herpes virus-6 (HHV-6) pneumonitis and meningitis with viraemia in an immunocompetent adult patient
Abstract
Human herpes virus-6 (HHV-6) infection is a common infection in the paediatric population and is increasingly reported in immunosuppressed adult patients. It has been reported as the causative agent of disease in few case reports in immunocompetent adults. We report herein an unusual case of HHV-6-associated viraemia, pneumonitis and meningitis in a patient who presented with dyspnoea, hypoxia, dry cough and headache. She was treated for atypical pneumonia with no improvement. Meningitis was suspected as headache kept worsening. HHV-6B was detected by PCR in the cerebrospinal fluid, and subsequently, in the bronchoalveolar lavage and serum samples. Studies were negative for the most common primary and secondary immunodeficiency syndromes, and serology could not be performed to differentiate virus reactivation from a primary infection. The patient was successfully treated with ganciclovir and had no residual sequelae.
Keywords: infectious diseases; meningitis; pneumonia (infectious disease).
© BMJ Publishing Group Limited 2021. No commercial re-use. See rights and permissions. Published by BMJ.
Conflict of interest statement
Competing interests: None declared.
Figures
References
Publication types
MeSH terms
LinkOut - more resources
Full Text Sources
Other Literature Sources
Medical