HHV-6 infection in a pediatric kidney transplant patient.

Human herpesvirus 6 (HHV-6) infection can induce unusual complications in transplant patients, such as interstitial pneumonitis, encephalitis and marrow aplasia. We describe the clinical course of HHV-6 infection in a girl with renal transplantation. She presented with diarrhea and poor feeding on day 36 post-transplantation (Tx), after a 5-day steroid pulse for clinical signs of acute rejection. A week later she developed fever and had elevated plasma creatinine and lactic dehydrogenase levels, but a physical examination did not reveal any anomalies with respect to suggest rash, pneumonitis, encephalitis or lymphadenopathy. Two weeks later, the patient developed anemia and leucopenia. HHV-6 was the only pathogen detected by the PCR assay of the serum and marrow aspiration. The patient had a successful recovery without specific treatment. This case report highlights the wide spectrum of complications resulting from HHV-6 infection in immunosuppressed patients.