The accompanying photomicrograph depicts an endoscopic biopsy of lung tissue from a patient undergoing chemotherapy for leukaemia.The arrows point to cells with viral inclusion bodies.Which one of the following viruses is directly involved in this case of viral pneumonitis?

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

HIV may have caused immune suppression (although this is more likely to be due to chemotherapy in the present case),however,the lesion seen in the photomicrograph has been directly caused by CMV.The "owl eye" nuclear inclusions are quite typical.It is important to make this distinction histopathologically,because specific treatment for CMV is available (gancyclovir,and its variants).

The Accompanying Photomicrograph Depicts an Endoscopic Biopsy of Lung Tissue