Low systemic ganciclovir exposure and preemptive treatment failure of cytomegalovirus reactivation in a transplanted child

Abstract

Prevention of cytomegalovirus (CMV) disease with ganciclovir has led to decrease morbidity and mortality in hematopoietic stem cell transplant (HSCT) recipients. In the present report, we describe a case of ganciclovir treatment failure in a HSCT child who presented a refractory CMV infection despite harbouring a susceptible strain. The failure was partly attributed to sub-therapeutic plasma ganciclovir levels. Our experience emphasizes the importance of drug monitoring in immunocompromised patients.