Cytomegalovirus infection in three patients with ulcerative colitis

Abstract

Colonic cytomegalovirus inclusion bodies indicating CMV infection were detected in three of 58 patients with ulcerative colitis. The immunohistological studies of biopsied specimens enabled diagnosis of CMV infection in the patients with uc. All three patients with cytomegalovirus infection had a long duration of symptoms and took severe courses. They were all treated with oral predonisolone and two of them were also administered to azathiopurine. Cytomegalic inclusion bodies appeared to confined to perivascular cells beneath the areas of mucosal ulceration of the colon, and were rarely seen in the epithelial cells. This infection appeared to alter the course of ulcerative colitis. © 1988, Japan Gastroenterological Endoscopy Society. All rights reserved.