Ganciclovir therapy in cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection in immunocompetent pediatric patients.

OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the outcome of immunocompetent pediatric patients who had positive cytomegalovirus (CMV) antigenemia and received ganciclovir.
METHODS: A retrospective review was done of patients who had a CMV infection based on positive antigenemia. Medical charts were reviewed for the following information: age, sex, underlying disease, symptoms and signs, laboratory results, complementary diagnostic procedures, duration and dose of ganciclovir therapy, concomitant medications, complications, and outcome.
RESULTS: Sixty-four patients with positive CMV antigenemia were identified; 15 patients were excluded from the study because of their underlying diseases. Of the remaining 49 patients, 26 (53%) were female; the median age was 11.5 months (range 0.3-132 months). Sixty-one percent (30/49) of these patients received ganciclovir (5-10 mg/kg/day) for a median of 14 days (range 7-42 days). Clinical findings included: fever, anemia, hepatomegaly, failure to thrive, elevated liver enzymes, splenomegaly, seizures, and thrombocytopenia. Sixty-three percent (19/30) of the treated patients had negative antigenemia at the end of therapy. CMV antigenemia remained positive in six (20%) patients. Nine patients received a second course of ganciclovir.
CONCLUSIONS: Ganciclovir was effective in 80% of patients, as determined by negative antigenemia at the end of therapy.