Viral infections in children undergoing hematopoietic stem cell transplant

BACKGROUND. METHODS. RESULTS.During the study period there were 70 episodes of viral infections in 96 transplants. The viruses most commonly encountered were cytomegalovirus (24), varicella-zoster (21) and herpes simplex (10). Fifty of these episodes resulted in clinically apparent diseases, affecting 39 patients. The Kaplan-Meier estimated probability for the development of viral diseases was 62%. Ten percent of these patients died as a direct result of the infectious process, all within 4 months of transplant. Significant factors for development of viral disease were the development of acute graft-vs.-host disease and the duration of preengraftment neutropenia. CONCLUSIONS.