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Cytomegalovirus Infection Mimics Manifestations of Underlying disease in
Patients with Autoimmune disorders: Case Report and Literature review
Abstract
Background: Patients with autoimmune disorders are highly
susceptible to infections including cytomegalovirus leading to serious
complications ranging from asymptomatic to severe systemic diseases.
Case presentation: The first case was a 44-year-old woman with
systemic lupus erythematosus referred to the Rheumatology ward due to a
necrotizing ulcer on the hand finger and multiple ulcerative lesions on
her lips and tongue. She had pancytopenia and positive results for both
herpes simplex virus and cytomegalovirus PCR (CMV-PCR); she was treated
with Ganciclovir and ultimately recovered. The second case was a
55-year-old man, a known sarcoidosis case, admitted to the hospital due
to lower extremities weakness and intraoral ulcers. The lab findings
revealed leukopenia and elevated levels of ESR and CRP. Viral markers
were all negative except for the CMV-PCR test. EMG-NCV showed subacute
axonal motor polyneuropathy in the lower limbs. Due to the high titers
of CMV, he was treated with Ganciclovir and the symptoms improved
dramatically. Conclusion: CMV infection in rheumatic patients
may lead to rare manifestations that can be misdiagnosed as a flare of
the underlying disease .