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Fatal cytomegalovirus infection with CD4+ T-lymphocytopenia during corticosteroid therapy for bronchial asthma

  • Case Report
  • Published:
Journal of Infection and Chemotherapy

Abstract

An 80-year-old woman was admitted with dyspnea. She had been treated with oral prednisolone for bronchial asthma. She was intravenously treated with dexamethasone. On the 9th day, she presented oliguria and thrombocytopenia. She was diagnosed as dehydration and disseminated intravascular coagulation, and was treated with hydration and heparin infusion. On the 12th day, she presented macroscopic hematuria and melena. Cystoscopy revealed hemorrhagic cystitis. Bone marrow aspiration showed hemophagocytosis. Serum antigen of cytomegalovirus (CMV) was positive. CD4+ T cell count was very low (40/μL). She was diagnosed as disseminated CMV infection, and was treated with gancyclovir and immunoglobulin infusion. On the 14th day, she died of pneumonia. This is the first report of fatal CMV infection during corticosteroid therapy for bronchial asthma.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Division of Internal Medicine, Saiseikai Kanazawa Hospital, Akatsuchimachi Ni 13-6, Kanazawa, 920-0353, Japan

    Kotaro Oe, Tsutomu Araki, Haruhiko Ogawa & Akikatsu Nakashima

  2. Department of Pathophysiological and Experimental Pathology, Kanazawa Medical University, Kahoku, Ishikawa, Japan

    Katsuaki Sato

Authors
  1. Kotaro Oe
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  2. Tsutomu Araki
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  3. Haruhiko Ogawa
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  4. Akikatsu Nakashima
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  5. Katsuaki Sato
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Correspondence to Kotaro Oe.

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Oe, K., Araki, T., Ogawa, H. et al. Fatal cytomegalovirus infection with CD4+ T-lymphocytopenia during corticosteroid therapy for bronchial asthma. J Infect Chemother 16, 131–134 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10156-010-0031-2

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10156-010-0031-2

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