Cytomegalovirus renal infection: Rare manifestation of a common post-transplant viral infection-A case series

Abstract

Cytomegalovirus is the most common viral infection in organ transplant recipients that usually affects the brain, lungs, liver, and gastrointestinal tract. Renal involvement of Cytomegalovirus (CMV) is otherwise rare. We present six cases of biopsy-proven CMV renal infection. Five out of the six patients had detectable CMV viremia. Kidney biopsy revealed glomerulopathy in four cases and tubulointerstitial involvement in two cases. All patients exhibited decline in renal function at the onset of infection. Four out of six patients had improvement of renal function following treatment of CMV disease. To date, this is the largest case series of pure biopsy-proven CMV renal infection described in a single center.

Keywords: Cytomegalovirus renal infection; kidney transplant.