Red cell aplasia secondary to cytomegalovirus infection: a case report

Abstract

Introduction: Cytomegalovirus (CMV) is a DNA virus belonging to the human herpesvirus 5 family, with manifestations ranging from asymptomatic infection to severe multiorgan dysfunction. Among all herpesviruses, CMV harbors the largest number of genes dedicated to evading both innate and adaptive immunity in the host. Objective: To describe CMV infection in a young infant presenting with red cell aplasia. Materials and methods: This study corresponds to a clinical analysis. A retrospective review of the patient’s medical record was conducted, including medical history, clinical course, laboratory studies, and diagnostic imaging. Etiological confirmation was performed using serological and molecular biology tests. Additionally, a systematic search in biomedical databases such as PubMed, Scopus, and SciELO was carried out to contextualize the findings within the existing literature. Results: A 1-month-old female patient presented with a 15-day clinical course characterized by generalized pallor, accompanied by catarrhal symptoms and hyporexia in the 72 hours prior to admission. Upon arrival at the emergency department, she was tachycardic and tachypneic, with marked pallor of the skin and mucous membranes, as well as a systolic murmur on auscultation. Conclusion: The patient exhibited severe normocytic normochromic non-regenerative anemia, with a peripheral blood smear showing no immature cells. Laboratory findings revealed positive serology and PCR for cytomegalovirus.