A child with BK virus infection: Inadequacy of current therapeutic strategies

• Published in: Pediatric transplantation Vol. 16; no. 7; pp. E269 - E274
• Main Authors: Pereira, Tanya, Rojas, Claudia P., Garcia‐Buitrago, Monica T., Chandar, Jayanthi, Abitbol, Carolyn, Seeherunvong, Wacharee, Rusconi, Paolo, Bruce, Jocelyn H., Zilleruelò, Gaston
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Oxford, UK Blackwell Publishing Ltd 01.11.2012
• Subjects: BK Virus - genetics; Brain Diseases - etiology; Brain Diseases - pathology; cardiac transplantation; Cardiomyopathies - therapy; Child; Cytosine - adverse effects; Cytosine - analogs & derivatives; Encephalomyelitis - therapy; Fatal Outcome; Female; Heart Transplantation - adverse effects; Humans; immunocompromised host; Immunosuppressive Agents - adverse effects; Kidney - virology; Kidney Diseases - etiology; Kidney Diseases - virology; Organophosphonates - adverse effects; Polymerase Chain Reaction - methods; Polyomavirus Infections - complications; Polyomavirus Infections - therapy; renal failure; viral infection; Viral Load
• ISSN: 1397-3142; 1399-3046
• DOI: 10.1111/j.1399-3046.2011.01602.x

Pereira T, Rojas CP, Garcia‐Buitrago MT, Chandar J, Abitbol C, Seeherunvong W, Rusconi P, Bruce JH, Zilleruelò G. A child with BK virus infection: Inadequacy of current therapeutic strategies. 
Pediatr Transplantation 2011. © 2011 John Wiley & Sons A/S. :  In this report, we describe the development of BKVN in the native kidneys of a child with a cardiac transplant. Elevated BK viral DNA load by PCR necessitated a prolonged course of treatment with escalating doses of cidofovir. Despite a reduction in plasma BK viral load, the infection evolved into an invasive CNS disease, resulting in rhomboencephalitis. This case highlights the need for awareness of the possibility of developing multiorgan complications from BKV infection. The current treatment options for BKV tissue invasive disease are inadequate and need to be improved.