title: Fatal mid-gastrointestinal bleeding by cytomegalovirus enteritis in an immunocompetent patient.
abstract: Cytomegalovirus (CMV) infections are common in immunocompromised patients but rare in immunocompetent individuals. Gastrointestinal disease is frequent in systemic CMV infections but the small bowel is the least common site of involvement. We present the case of a 66 years-old man, with no evidence of immunological deficiency, hospitalized for unspecific symptoms of diarrhea, fever and abdominal pain, which developed massive mid-gastrointestinal bleeding during hospitalization. Enteroscopy revealed congestive, oedematous mucosa with multiple ulcers in the small bowel. Cytomegalic cells with intranuclear inclusions were found on histologic examination, allowing the diagnosis of CMV infection. Ganciclovir in full therapeutic dose was started and surgery was performed as a last resource treatment, but the patient died. This case highlights the rare condition of massive gastrointestinal bleeding due to CMV disease of the small bowel, the major importance of enteroscopy and pathologic evaluation for diagnosis and the poor prognosis of this situation.
authors.affiliation: Gastroenterology Department, Coimbra University Hospital, Coimbra. nunoperesalmeida@gmail.com
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Almeida
authors.forename: J M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Romãozinho
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Amaro
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ferreira
authors.forename: M A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Cipriano
authors.forename: M Correia
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Leitão
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D003586:Cytomegalovirus Infections / Q000150:complications*; D004751:Enteritis / Q000150:complications*; D017809:Fatal Outcome; D006471:Gastrointestinal Hemorrhage / Q000209:etiology*; D006801:Humans; D007121:Immunocompetence; D008297:Male