Studies from National Health Insurance Service Ilsan Hospital Provide New Data on Cytomegalovirus (Occult cytomegalovirus infection presents anastomotic leakage after gastrectomy: Two case reports): Herpesvirus Diseases and Conditions – Cytomegalovirus

2026 JAN 29 (NewsRx) -- By a News Reporter-Staff News Editor at South Korea Daily Report -- Investigators discuss new findings in Herpesvirus Diseases and Conditions - Cytomegalovirus. According to news originating from Gyeonggi Do, South Korea, by NewsRx correspondents, research stated, “Cytomegalovirus (CMV) remains latent and causes disease in immunocompromised patients. However, surgical stress may also trigger reactivation without overt immunosuppression, leading to severe complications.”

Our news journalists obtained a quote from the research from National Health Insurance Service Ilsan Hospital, “Both patients developed life-threatening postoperative bleeding and anastomotic leakage after gastrectomy. The complications were difficult to resolve, leading to transfer to our hospital’s intensive care unit in the first case and repeated reoperations for leakage in the second case. Refractory postoperative anastomotic leakage associated with occult CMV infection. CMV infection was confirmed by whole-blood CMV PCR and treated with intravenous ganciclovir. Supportive measures, including endoscopic vacuum therapy, were performed to manage the anastomotic defects. In Case 1, leakage and bleeding persisted despite antiviral therapy, resulting in death from respiratory failure. In Case 2, antiviral initiation following CMV diagnosis led to significant improvement in anastomotic healing, and recovery without further major complications. Occult CMV infection should be considered in patients with recurrent postoperative anastomotic leakage, even in the absence of overt immunosuppression.”

According to the news editors, the research concluded: “Early diagnosis and prompt antiviral-therapy may improve outcomes.”

For more information on this research see: Occult cytomegalovirus infection presents anastomotic leakage after gastrectomy: Two case reports. Medicine, 2026;105(3). Medicine can be contacted at: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, Two Commerce Sq, 2001 Market St, Philadelphia, PA 19103, USA. (Elsevier - www.elsevier.com; Medicine - http://www.journals.elsevier.com/medicine/)

The news correspondents report that additional information may be obtained from Il Jo, Dept. of Surgery, National Health Insurance Service Ilsan Hospital, Goyang, Gyeonggi-do, South Korea. Additional authors for this research include Jun Hyung Kim, Sungho Lee, Kwanhoon Park, Kang Yoon Lee, Da Hyun Jung, Han-Gil Yoon and Ji Young Jang.

The direct object identifier (DOI) for that additional information is: https://doi.org/10.1097/md.0000000000047254. This DOI is a link to an online electronic document that is either free or for purchase, and can be your direct source for a journal article and its citation.

The publisher’s contact information for the journal Medicine is: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, Two Commerce Sq, 2001 Market St, Philadelphia, PA 19103, USA.

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