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BMJ Case Reports 2009; doi:10.1136/bcr.10.2008.1058
  • Unusual presentation of more common disease/injury

Gastrointestinal lesions in parvovirus B19 infection

  1. Davide Tassinari1,
  2. Giorgio Gallinella2,
  3. Nunzio C Salfi3,
  4. Daniela Elleri1,
  5. Sara Forti1,
  6. Francesca Bonvicini2,
  7. Filippo Bernardi1
  1. 1
    S.Orsola-Malpighi Hospital, University of Bologna, Department of Paediatrics, Via Massarenti 11, Bologna 40138, Italy
  2. 2
    Division of Microbiology, University of Bologna, Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, via Massarenti 9, Bologna 40138, Italy
  3. 3
    S.Orsola-Malpighi Hospital, University of Bologna, Department of Pathological Anatomy, via Massarenti 9, Bologna 40138, Italy
  1. Davide Tassinari, davide.tassinari{at}aosp.bo.it
  • Published 17 March 2009

Summary

A 13-year-old girl with persistent fever, pharyngitis, acute anaemia, peripheral blood and bone marrow positive for parvovirus B19 DNA.

Microscopic findings of gastrointestinal biopsy showed diffuse vacuolar alteration of the cytoplasma of duodenal enterocytes and virological analysis demonstrated the presence of parvovirus in lymphocytes of the duodenal wall’s epithelial layer.

In unexplained gastrointestinal pathologies, the role of parvovirus B19 infection should be investigated.

Footnotes

  • Competing interests: none.

  • Patient consent: Patient/guardian consent was obtained for publication.

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