1. ¹Infectious Diseases Unit, Department of Hematology and Oncology, G Gaslini Children Hospital, Genoa, Italy
2. ²Bone Marrow Transplant Unit, Department of Hematology and Oncology, G Gaslini Children Hospital, Genoa, Italy
3. ³Laboratory of Virology, G Gaslini Children Hospital, Genoa, Italy
4. ⁴Service of Radiology, G Gaslini Children Hospital, Genoa, Italy
5. ⁵Epidemiology and Biostatistics Section, Scientific Directorate, G Gaslini Children Hospital, Genoa, Italy

Correspondence: Dr E Castagnola, Infectious Diseases Unit, Department of Hematology and Oncology, G Gaslini Children Hospital, L go G.Gaslini, Genova 5—16147, Italy. E-mail: eliocastagnola@ospedale-gaslini.ge.it

Abstract

Viral infections are a rare complication in autologous hemopoietic stem cell transplant (HSCT) recipients but represent a frequent cause of disease after allogeneic HSCT. In the last years, there has been an increase in the number of viral diseases observed in these patients. This fact may be at least partially due to an improvement in diagnostic facilities, but the increasing number of transplant procedures and the more severe immunosuppression may also have played an important role.