Challenging complications of treatment--human herpes virus 6 encephalitis and pneumonitis in a patient undergoing autologous stem cell transplantation for relapsed Hodgkin's disease: a case report.
BACKGROUND
Reactivation of human herpesvirus 6 (HHV-6) occurs frequently in patients after allogeneic stem cell transplantation and is associated with bone-marrow suppression, enteritis, pneumonitis, pericarditis and also encephalitis. After autologous stem cell transplantation or intensive polychemotherapy HHV-6 reactivation is rarely reported.


METHODS
This case demonstrates a severe symptomatic HHV-6 infection with encephalitis and pneumonitis after autologous stem cell transplantation of a patient with relapsed Hodgkin's disease.


CONCLUSIONS
Careful diagnostic work up in patients with severe complications after autologous stem cell transplantation is mandatory to identify uncommon infections.
Bommer
Martin
M
Department of Internal Medicine III - Hematology/Oncology, University of Ulm, Ulm, Germany. martin.bommer@uniklinik-ulm.de
Pauls
Sandra
S
Greiner
Jochen
J
D000328:Adult; D018792:Encephalitis, Viral / Q000821:virology*; D015654:Herpesvirus 6, Human / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D006689:Hodgkin Disease / Q000150:complications* / Q000628:therapy; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011014:Pneumonia / Q000821:virology*; D019349:Roseolovirus Infections / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000821:virology; D033581:Stem Cell Transplantation / Q000009:adverse effects*