Cytomegalovirus infection presenting as a colonic mass in a patient with acquired immunodeficiency syndrome

Dhyan Rajan¹, Robin Jacob¹, Sadat Rashid², Magdalene Vardaros², Anastasiya Pigal³, Wondwossen Gebre³, Kaleem Rizvon², Krishnaiyer Subramani², Umeko Takeshige², Paul Mustacchia^2
1Department of Internal Medicine, ²Department of Gastroenterology, ³Department of Pathology, Nassau University Medical Center, East Meadow, New York, NY, USA

Abstract: Cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection of the gastrointestinal tract occurs in both immunocompromised and immunocompetent hosts. Often presenting as ulcerative lesions, CMV infection rarely presents as a mass lesion in the gastrointestinal tract. We present a case of a discrete colonic mass caused by CMV infection in a patient with acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS). This case illustrates that an infectious process such as CMV should be considered along with malignancy as the etiology of a mass lesion present in the gastrointestinal tract of patients with AIDS.

Keywords: pseudotumor, colonic mass, opportunistic infection, ganciclovir