Cytomegalovirus Infection with Liver Involvement in an Immunocompetent Patient

• Main Authors: Pınar ÖNGÜRÜ, Esragül AKINCI, Yeliz ÖZEN, M. Arzu YETKİN, Deniz ALIRAVCI, Ayşe BUT, Hürrem BODUR
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Bilimsel Tip Yayinevi 2011-06-01
• Series: Flora Infeksiyon Hastalıkları ve Klinik Mikrobiyoloji Dergisi
• Subjects: Cytomegalovirus; Immunocompetence; Liver diseases
• Online Access: http://www.floradergisi.org/getFileContent.aspx?op=REDPDF&file_name=2011-16-2-086-089.pdf

Cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection is a common viral infection worldwide, with a frequency as high as 90% in developing countries. Only 10% of primary CMV infection is symptomatic in immunocompetent patients, and it rarely causes specific complications. We describe a previously healthy 29-year-old male patient who was hospitalized due to fever, headache and dizziness. Yellow plaques on the tonsillae, high levels of lactate dehydrogenase, aspartate aminotransferase and alanine aminotransferase, and hepatosplenomegaly were detected. Anti-CMV IgM and CMV polymerase chain reaction positivity was detected in his serum. The patient was followed with the diagnosis of CMV hepatitis and treated with gancyclovir for 14 days due to fever. He recovered after treatment and was discharged. In previously healthy patients with hepatitis of unknown etiology, CMV should be kept in mind in the differential diagnosis; liver biopsy can be performed for the definitive diagnosis.