Cytomegalovirus Colitis: A Case Report

Abstract

We report a case of cytomegalovirus (CMV) colitis. The patient (a woman with a provisional diagnosis of Crohn disease) presented with severe abdominal pain, diarrhea, and weight loss. Despite difficulties in differential diagnosis, we were able to make the correct diagnosis based on findings of the histological examination of the biopsy specimens obtained during colonoscopy: intranuclear inclusions characteristic of CMV and specific CMV-associated changes in the intestinal mucosa. This case highlights the importance of histopathological examination in differential diagnosis of inflammatory diseases of the gastrointestinal tract.

Keywords

• cytomegalovirus
• cytomegalovirus colitis
• immunosuppression
• pathology