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BK virus-associated bilateral ureteric stenosis after haematopoietic SCT: viral kinetics and successful treatment

Bone Marrow Transplantation volume 48, pages 745–746 (2013)Cite this article

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BK virus (BKV) was isolated from a renal allograft recipient with stenosis of the transplanted ureter.1 Initial concerns of BKV infection were focused on this complication.2 Interest in BKV later shifted to its role in haemorrhagic cystitis (HC) after haematopoietic SCT,3 and in polyomavirus-associated nephropathy (PVAN) after renal allografting.4 An important difference exists between the two: high levels of BKV viraemia are found in PVAN but not in HC post HSCT, where only high levels of BKV viruria are found.4, 5

A 20-year-old man underwent HSCT from a matched unrelated donor for AML. Conditioning consisted of BU (800 mg), CY (6.2 gm) and rabbit antithymocyte globulin (325 mg). GVHD prophylaxis included ciclosporin and mycophenolate mofetil. There was no evidence of acute GVHD. Neutrophil engraftment occurred on day 10 post HSCT. HC developed 1 month post HSCT, which was confirmed by polyomavirus on urinary EM. There was no response to bladder irrigation, corticosteroids and ciprofloxacin.6

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Medicine, University of Hong Kong, Queen Mary Hospital, Hong Kong, China

    Y-Y Hwang, J Sim, A Y H Leung, A K W Lie & Y-L Kwong

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  1. Y-Y Hwang
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  2. J Sim
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Correspondence to Y-L Kwong.

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Hwang, YY., Sim, J., Leung, A. et al. BK virus-associated bilateral ureteric stenosis after haematopoietic SCT: viral kinetics and successful treatment. Bone Marrow Transplant 48, 745–746 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1038/bmt.2012.215

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