PARVOVIRUS B19-INFECTION IN PEDIATRIC TRANSPLANT PATIENTS

Evidence of recent parvovirus virus infection (as determined by the pr esence of a positive IgM antibody titer) without other identified caus es of anemia was found in 5 of 26 pediatric solid-organ transplant rec ipients evaluated for moderate-to-severe anemia between June 1990 and July 1991. Anemia tended to be chronic (median duration of anemia at t he time of diagnosis was 12 weeks) and was associated with normal red blood cell indices in the absence of reticulocytes. The median age of the children at the time of presentation with anemia due to parvovirus was 1.8 years at a median time of 8 months after transplantation. Fou r of the 5 children were treated with i.v. immunoglobulin because of p ersistance of anemia requiring blood transfusions. A response characte rized by an increase in reticulocyte count and normalization of hemogl obin was seen in each of these patients 2-4 weeks after treatment. The remaining patient experienced a spontaneous recovery from her anemia. Parvovirus infection should be included in the differential diagnosis of solid-organ transplant recipients presenting with severe anemia as sociated with low or absent reticulocytes.