Treatment of cytomegalovirus pneumonia with ganciclovir in an immunocompetent infant.

Cytomegalovirus infection is common in the immunodepressed child, and because of its severity, is usually treated with intravenous ganciclovir. It is also common in the immunocompetent child, but is usually asymptomatic, so that there is no indication for ganciclovir treatment, because of the potential toxicity of the drug. Case report - We report a case of symptomatic cytomegalovirus infection in a six-week-old infant, presenting with interstitial pneumonia associated with weight and height growth failure. Cytomegalovirus was found by polymerase chain reaction in the bronchoalveolar lavage fluid and in the blood. This child was successfully treated with 15 days of intravenous ganciclovir, and experienced no adverse effect of this treatment. The child was free of symptoms and free of immunodeficiency after seven months of follow-up. Conclusion. - Immunocompetent patients with cytomegalovirus infection, pulmonary involvement and weight and height growth failure, may benefit from intravenous ganciclovir treatment. Further studies, with larger number of cases, are yet needed to define more precisely the indications of such a treatment in the immunocompetent child. (C) 2002 Editions scientifiques, et medicales Elsevier SAS.