Table of Contents
- Overview
- Symptoms
- Treatment
- Prevention
- Images
Cytomegalovirus (CMV) pneumonia is an infection of the lungs that can occur in people who have a suppressed immune system.
See also:
CMV esophagitis CMV gastroenteritis CMV retinitis CMV - immunocompromised host Congenital CMV
Alternative Names
Pneumonia - cytomegalovirus; Cytomegalovirus pneumonia
Causes, incidence, and risk factors
CMV pneumonia is caused by a member of a group of herpes-type viruses. Infection with CMV is very common. Most humans are exposed to CMV in their lifetime, but typically only individuals with weakened immune systems become ill from CMV infection
Usually CMV produces no symptoms, but serious CMV infections can occur in people with weakened immune systems from conditions such as:
AIDS Bone marrow transplant - Organ transplant
-
Chemotherapy or other treatments that suppress the immune system
In people who have had organ and bone marrow transplants, the risk of infection is greatest 5 - 13 weeks after the transplant.
Review Date: 12/01/2009
Reviewed By: David C. Dugdale, III, MD, Professor of Medicine, Division of
General Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Washington
School of Medicine; Jatin M. Vyas, MD, PhD, Assistant Professor in
Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Assistant in Medicine, Division
of Infectious Disease, Department of Medicine, Massachusetts
General Hospital. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical
Director, A.D.A.M., Inc.
A.D.A.M., Inc. is accredited by URAC, also known as the American Accreditation HealthCare Commission (www.urac.org)
