title: Varicella-zoster virus-associated fulminant hepatitis following allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation for multiple myeloma.
abstract: Disseminated visceral varicella-zoster virus (VZV) infection rarely occurs in recipients of allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (allo-HSCT). To date, only a few cases of isolated VZV-induced fulminant hepatitis following allo-HSCT have been reported. We herein describe the case of a 47-year-old Japanese man with multiple myeloma who developed fulminant hepatitis 17 months after undergoing allo-HSCT. Despite receiving fresh frozen plasma and platelet transfusions, he developed a bleeding tendency (systemic purpura, petechiae and oral bleeding), slipped into a coma and eventually died. He was retrospectively diagnosed with viscerally disseminated VZV infection based on a postmortem examination and multiplex polymerase chain reaction (PCR) amplification.
authors.affiliation: Department of Hematology, Japanese Red Cross Akita Hospital, Japan.
authors.forename: Hirobumi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Saitoh
authors.forename: Naoto
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Takahashi
authors.forename: Hiroshi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Nanjo
authors.forename: Yoshinari
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Kawabata
authors.forename: Makoto
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hirokawa
authors.forename: Kenichi
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Sawada
mesh_terms: D064591:Allografts; D000818:Animals; D017809:Fatal Outcome; D018380:Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation; D006525:Hepatitis, Viral, Human / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000628:therapy / Q000821:virology*; D006562:Herpes Zoster / Q000150:complications*; D014645:Herpesvirus 3, Human; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009101:Multiple Myeloma / Q000628:therapy*; D009894:Opportunistic Infections / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000628:therapy / Q000821:virology*; D010949:Plasma; D017713:Platelet Transfusion