Latent Cytomegalovirus Infection and Blood Transfusion

Excerpt

Renewed interest in the cytomegalovirus has grown from the recognition that infection with this virus may produce disease in adult patients. Disseminated infection with cytomegalovirus is an increasingly frequent complication in patients with underlying immunologic defects, whether inherited, acquired, or induced by immunosuppressive therapy (1). Fifty to 75% of renal allograft recipients ultimately develop evidence of the infection, and similar involvement occurs in patients with leukemia or lymphoproliferative disorders, particularly after cytotoxic therapy (1, 2). The clinical manifestations are protean although their significance has often been obscured by other pathogenic organisms or manifestations of the underlying disorder (3). Nevertheless, disseminated