PSYCHIATRIC DISEASE AND CYTOMEGALOVIRUS VIREMIA IN RENAL-TRANSPLANT RECIPIENTS

Although cytomegalovirus (CMV) is rarely cultured from peripheral-bloo d leukocytes of immunocompetent patients, it may be cultured from up t o 60% of renal transplant recipients, 1 to 4 months after transplantat ion. During this same period, renal transplant recipients are often re ferred for psychiatric evaluation. Since CMV may infect the central ne rvous system, the relationship between isolation of CMV from periphera l-blood leukocytes (viremia) and psychiatric evaluation was investigat ed in 80 renal allograft recipients at the Massachusetts General Hospi tal. Five of 16 (31%) patients with viremia and 7 of 64 (11%) patients without viremia required psychiatric consultation (P = 0.04, two-tail ed Fisher exact test). CMV viremia may be an important but treatable c ontributor. to psychiatric symptoms in the transplant recipient.