Differentiation Between Infection and Rejection in the Management of Cardiac Transplant Patients.

Infections commonly complicate cardiac transplantation, and the clinical presentation of post-transplantation infection is usually readily distinguishable from that of rejection. Infection of the allograft may mimic rejection, however, and endomyocardial biopsies are required to distinguish these two entities. Cytomegalovirus is the most common cause of post-transplant cardiac infection. Although there are noninvasive studies that may suggest a diagnosis of cytomegalovirus infection, the noninvasive diagnosis of infection-related myocarditis remains challenging.