Cytomegalovirus in Ulcerative Colitis: An Unwanted “Guest”
Danusia Onisor,
Olga Brusnic,
Simona Mocan,
Mircea Stoian,
Calin Avram,
Adrian Boicean,
Daniela Dobru
Affiliations
Danusia Onisor
Department of Internal Medicine VII, George Emil Palade University of Medicine, Pharmacy, Science and Technology of Targu Mures, Gheorghe Marinescu Street No. 38, 540139 Targu Mures, Romania
Olga Brusnic
Department of Internal Medicine VII, George Emil Palade University of Medicine, Pharmacy, Science and Technology of Targu Mures, Gheorghe Marinescu Street No. 38, 540139 Targu Mures, Romania
Simona Mocan
Pathology Department, Emergency County Hospital, 540136 Targu Mures, Romania
Mircea Stoian
Department of Anesthesiology and Intensive Care, George Emil Palade University of Medicine, Pharmacy, Science and Technology of Targu Mures, 540139 Targu Mures, Romania
Calin Avram
Department of Medical Informatics and Biostatistics, George Emil Palade University of Medicine, Pharmacy, Science and Technology of Targu Mures, Gheorghe Marinescu Street No. 38, 540139 Targu Mures, Romania
Adrian Boicean
Faculty of Medicine, Lucian Blaga University of Sibiu, 550169 Sibiu, Romania
Daniela Dobru
Department of Internal Medicine VII, George Emil Palade University of Medicine, Pharmacy, Science and Technology of Targu Mures, Gheorghe Marinescu Street No. 38, 540139 Targu Mures, Romania
The role of cytomegalovirus (CMV) in the flare-up of ulcerative colitis (UC) is not clearly understood. CMV can cause similar symptoms in different clinical contexts, which may be attributed to the natural evolution of the viral infection, the patient’s immune status, or its association with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). This study aims to delineate the diverse manifestations of CMV-related lesions from clinical, endoscopic, and histopathological perspectives, alongside a brief narrative review of the literature. In managing IBD patients, it is crucial to be vigilant for signs of CMV reactivation, especially before the initiation of more intensive therapies.
