Cytomegalovirus cavitary pneumonia in a human immunodeficiency virus‐infected patient

• Published in: Respirology case reports Vol. 12; no. 5; pp. e01392 - n/a
• Main Authors: Sunanaga, Yusuke, Suetsugu, Takayuki, Nagata, Yusuke, Miyata, Marina, Kondo, Kiyotaka, Mitsuyama, Hideo, Kubota, Shingo, Mizuno, Keiko, Tanaka, Kentaro, Inoue, Hiromasa
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Chichester, UK John Wiley & Sons, Ltd 01.05.2024; John Wiley & Sons, Inc; Wiley
• Subjects: Acquired immune deficiency syndrome; acquired immunodeficiency syndrome; AIDS; Bacterial infections; Biopsy; Case reports; cavitary lung lesion; Cytomegalovirus; cytomegalovirus infection; Drug therapy; HIV; Human immunodeficiency virus; Immune system; Immunosuppressive agents; Infections; Lung diseases; Patients; Pneumonia; transbronchial biopsy; Tuberculosis; human immunodeficiency virus; transbronchial biopsy; cytomegalovirus infection; cavitary lung lesion; acquired immunodeficiency syndrome
• ISSN: 2051-3380; 2051-3380
• DOI: 10.1002/rcr2.1392

Cavitary lung lesions are uncommon radiological findings in cytomegalovirus pneumonia, and tissue biopsy is rarely performed for diagnosis. A 67‐year‐old man presented with a wet cough. Extensive white moss in the oral cavity was found on physical examination, and chest computed tomography revealed an approximately 4 cm cavitary lesion in the upper lobe of the right lung. Blood tests showed a critically low CD4+ T lymphocyte count and positivity for human immunodeficiency virus type 1 antibodies. A transbronchial biopsy of the cavitary lung lesion was performed, and inclusion bodies in the nuclei of enlarged alveolar epithelial cells were seen in the histopathological findings. Immunohistochemistry staining for cytomegalovirus was positive, and cytomegalovirus pneumonia was diagnosed. Ganciclovir treatment was initiated, and the symptoms and imaging findings resolved. Cytomegalovirus pneumonia can present as cavitary lung lesions in patients with acquired immunodeficiency syndrome, and a transbronchial biopsy is essentially useful for a definitive diagnosis. Cytomegalovirus pneumonia can present as cavitary lung lesions in patients with acquired immunodeficiency syndrome, and a transbronchial biopsy is essentially useful for a definitive diagnosis.