Spontaneous colonic perforation secondary to cytomegalovirus in a patient with acquired immune deficiency syndrome.

We report a case of spontaneous perforation of the transverse colon due to multiple ulcerations infected with cytomegalovirus (CMV) in a patient suffering from acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS). The authors recommend a thorough clinical and laboratory search (including tissue diagnosis, when possible) for evidence of CMV infection in immunosuppressed patients with new or poorly healing GI ulcerations, who are otherwise at risk for CMV infection, e.g., patients with AIDS. When performing surgery on AIDS patients, operating room protocol should be identical to that used for hepatitis B virus patients.