Necrotizing enterovirus myositis in a pediatric renal transplant recipient

Abstract

Background: Enteroviruses can cause severe infections, including viral myocarditis, meningitis, acute flaccid myelitis, and viral myositis.

Methods/results: We report a 3-year-old female renal transplant recipient who presented to a tertiary care hospital with elevated serum liver aminotransferases and subsequently developed proximal muscle pain, weakness, and respiratory distress during the first week of hospitalization. Imaging of the lower extremities revealed diffuse myositis of the proximal thigh and pelvic muscles. A muscle biopsy was obtained and revealed necrotizing myositis with immunostaining positive for enterovirus, consistent with a diagnosis of enterovirus necrotizing myositis. She had complete resolution of symptoms with steroids, intravenous immune globulin, reduced tacrolimus dose, and physical therapy.

Conclusions: Enterovirus myositis should be included in the differential diagnosis for necrotizing myositis following renal transplantation in children.

Keywords: enterovirus; myositis; pediatric; renal transplant recipient.