[Typhlitis: report of a case and review of the literature].
BACKGROUND
Typhlitis is a rare condition, characterized by necrotizing inflammation of the colon. It occurs mainly in neutropenic patients receiving chemotherapy for leukemia.


METHODS
We report the case of a 64-year-old woman with T-cell lymphocytic leukaemia, who exhibited asymptomatic reactivation of cytomegalovirus infection and developed subsequently typhlitis.


CONCLUSIONS
The pathological mechanisms of typhlitis remain unclear in neutropenic patients. The role of cytotoxic drugs as well as both bacterial overgrowth and translocation has been postulated. In our patient, asymptomatic reactivation of cytomegalovirus infection may have increased chemotherapeutic-agents-digestive toxicity.
Robaday
S
S
Département de médecine interne, CHU de Rouen, 76031 Rouen cedex, France.
Kerleau
J-M
JM
Tapon
E
E
Levesque
H
H
Marie
I
I
D000074323:Alemtuzumab; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use; D061067:Antibodies, Monoclonal, Humanized; D000912:Antibodies, Neoplasm / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000998:Antiviral Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D018988:Bacterial Translocation; D003586:Cytomegalovirus Infections / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000209:etiology / Q000382:microbiology; D044504:Enterocolitis, Neutropenic / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000628:therapy; D005260:Female; D015774:Ganciclovir / Q000031:analogs & derivatives / Q000627:therapeutic use; D006801:Humans; D015458:Leukemia, T-Cell / Q000188:drug therapy*; D008875:Middle Aged; D011860:Radiography, Abdominal; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed; D053706:Typhlitis / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000209:etiology* / Q000628:therapy; D000077562:Valganciclovir
D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D061067:Antibodies, Monoclonal, Humanized; D000912:Antibodies, Neoplasm; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D000998:Antiviral Agents; D000074323:Alemtuzumab; D000077562:Valganciclovir; D015774:Ganciclovir