title: Fatal upper and lower gastrointestinal cytomegalovirus disease following autologous peripheral blood stem cell transplantation.
abstract: Although the life-threatening cytomegalovirus (CMV) disease is a well known complication following allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT), it has been considered infrequent after autologous peripheral blood stem cell transplantation (PBSCT). On the other hand, the massive involvement of the gastrointestinal (GI) tract as the primary site of fatal CMV disease is particularly rare after autologous PBSCT. We present the case of a woman who suffered from CMV disease after high-dose busulphan/melphalan/thiotepa (BuMelTT) and autologous PBSCT. The primary site of infection was the GI tract, which was extensively affected. During the fifth week post-transplant the patient started with epigastralgia, diarrhea, fever, GI bleeding, and thrombocytopenia, and she died on day +52. Another case of fatal CMV disease among the few patients treated with BuMelTT has been recently reported, which suggests that the immunodeficiency associated with that regimen can be as intense as that occurring after allogeneic BMT.
authors.affiliation: Haemato-Oncology Department and Pathology Department, University General Hospital, Murcia, Spain.
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Perez-Ceballos
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Vallejo
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Cano
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Ayala
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Martínez
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Moraleda
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Vicente
mesh_terms: D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects*; D002066:Busulfan / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects; D003586:Cytomegalovirus Infections / Q000139:chemically induced* / Q000473:pathology; D017809:Fatal Outcome; D005260:Female; D005767:Gastrointestinal Diseases / Q000473:pathology / Q000821:virology*; D018380:Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation / Q000009:adverse effects; D006801:Humans; D016867:Immunocompromised Host; D008558:Melphalan / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects; D008875:Middle Aged; D013852:Thiotepa / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects; D014182:Transplantation, Autologous / Q000009:adverse effects*
chemical_list: D013852:Thiotepa; D002066:Busulfan; D008558:Melphalan