CYTOMEGALOVIRUS AS A CAUSE OF MORBIDITY IN HEART-TRANSPLANTATION - THE EXPERIENCE OF ONE-CENTER

The accumulated data from 78 heart transplant recipients surviving for more than one month. postoperatively were reviewed; the median durati on of follow up was 16 months. Cytomegalovirus (CMV) disease was seen most frequently in recipients of hearts from CMV-seropositive donors, irrespective of the recipient CMV antibody status. CMV-related illness was detected in 13 patients; of the six who developed pneumonitis, fi ve were CMV-seropositive recipients with seropositive donors. CMV was not a common cause of hepatitis or gastrointestinal symptoms.