[Infections caused by virus in 100 patients submitted to heart transplantation]. / Infecções causadas por vírus em 100 pacientes submetidos a transplante cardíaco.

PURPOSE: To analyse prevalence, clinical features and organ involvement in viral infections occuring after heart transplantation. METHODS: One hundred consecutive heart transplantation patients were studied. The follow-up was three to 90 (mean 23.32 +/- 25.97) months. Viral infections were diagnosed using the Center for Disease Control criteria. RESULTS: Viral infections were responsible for 51 infections, 19.6% of all infections in this patient population. Herpesvirus infection was the most common etiology: 32 (59.25%) of all viral infections were caused by reactivation of or reinfection by cytomegalovirus. Of those infections 27 (84.37%) occurred in the first three weeks following surgery. Only 4 (12.50%) of those showed clinical signs of cytomegalovirus disease. Other herpesvirus causing infections were herpes simplex and varicella-zoster virus. CONCLUSION: Infections are common after heart transplantation and viral infections of herpesviridae family are important causes of those infections; usually as reactivation in an immune suppressed patient. The most important viral infections were caused by reactivation of or reinfection by cytomegalovirus.