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Case Reports
. 2023 Dec;53(4):265-268.
doi: 10.1177/14782715231205916. Epub 2023 Oct 31.

Radiation proctitis with recurrent gastrointestinal bleeding complicated by cytomegalovirus

Austin B Auyeung  1 , Melanie N Rayan  1 , Xiaolan Tang  1 , Sanil Thomas  2
Affiliations
Case Reports

Radiation proctitis with recurrent gastrointestinal bleeding complicated by cytomegalovirus

Austin B Auyeung et al. J R Coll Physicians Edinb. 2023 Dec.

Abstract

Cytomegalovirus (CMV) usually causes infections with mild symptoms in immunocompetent individuals. However, in immunocompromised patients, these infections can be serious or life-threatening. Following initial infection, CMV typically becomes dormant but remains lifelong in the host. Reactivation of the latent virus can occur in many organ systems, including the gastrointestinal (GI) tract. Radiation proctitis is a known risk factor associated with prostate radiation, with complicating ulceration and GI bleeding. We present the first case report of an immunocompetent 81-year-old male with multiple episodes of life-threatening GI bleeding, secondary to a non-healing CMV-positive rectal ulcer and CMV colitis following radiation for prostate cancer. Multiple insults including prostate radiation, repeated blood transfusions and CMV infection likely contributed to the recurrent bleeding episodes.

Keywords: cytomegalovirus; haematochezia; immunocompetent; radiation proctitis; recurrent gastrointestinal bleeding.

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Conflict of interest statement

Declaration of conflicting interestsThe author(s) declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.

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