Polyomavirus in an immunocompetent 6-year-old girl
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.48193/c62y4d28Keywords:
immunocompetent girl, immunocytochemistry, polymerase chain reaction, PolyomavirusAbstract
Clinical case description: A 6-year-old girl was admitted to the hospital with diffuse abdominal pain and discomfort when urinating. She was diagnosed with gastroenteritis and a urinary tract infection. Urine examination subsequently showed traces of protein, some pyocytes, and Decoy cells, characteristic of a polyomavirus infection. The diagnosis was confirmed by plasma PCR and immunostaining of capsid antigens in urine cells.
Relevance: Polyomavirus infection in children goes unnoticed unless the urinary sediment is searched for infected cells. The viruses remain largely inactive until adulthood, where they can reactivate in immunosuppressed individuals.
Clinical implications: In children with fever, abdominal pain, or increased nasopharyngeal secretion, it is important to always perform a urine sediment examination for decoy cells; otherwise, primary polyomavirus infections would go undetected.
Conclusions: To our knowledge, only two cases of primary infection in children have been reported so far, and this is the second. Urine testing is essential to detect the presence of decoy cells.
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