A case of ulcerative colitis associated with cytomegalovirus infection causing a splenic abscess

Abstract

We report a case of ulcerative colitis associated with cytomegalovirus infection causing a splenic abscess.
A 75-year-old man with sepsis and high fever was brought into our hospital by ambulance. A abdominal CT scan disclosed a splenic abscess. We treated the abscess by ultrasonography-guided percutaneous drainage, but the fistula remnant was left. We thus conducted diverting transverse colostomy for persisting colonosplenic fistula. One month later, we successfully performed left hemicolectomy without splenectomy. The pathological diagnosis was ulcerative colitis with cytomegalovirus infection. Cytomegalovirus infection, which is at times associated with intractable ulcerative colitis, has recently been considered an refractory factor in ulceration and fistulation of ulcerative colitis. Colonosplenic fistula should be taken into account in cases of ulcerative colitis with cytomegalovirus infection.