• Zahra Momayaz Sanat, Zeinab Siami, Sudabeh Alatab, Homayoon Vahedi, and Zeinab Fanni.
• Digestive Disease Research Center, Digestive Disease Research Institute, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
• Arch Iran Med. 2024 May 1; 27 (5): 277286277-286.

AbstractHuman cytomegalovirus (HCMV) is classified within the Herpesvirales order and is prevalent in 50%‒80% of the general population. Most carriers experience this infection without noticeable clinical symptoms. HCMV causes a lifelong latent infection that can be reactivated due to immune disorders and inflammation. The reactivation of HCMV becomes particularly significant when it coincides with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). While cytomegalovirus (CMV) colitis in IBD patients was identified years ago, the role of CMV in triggering flare-ups, acute severe colitis, treatment resistance, and other outcomes in IBD patients experiencing CMV reactivation remains a subject of ongoing debate. In this review, we aim to address an updated insight into aspects related to the CMV colitis in IBD patients including epidemiology, risk factors, clinical features, diagnostic tests, histology, place of immunosuppressants and indications for antiviral treatment. We suggest for personalized and thorough assessment based on the disease phase and colitis severity when prescribing drugs to these patients. Furthermore, we emphasize the importance of regular patient follow-up to monitor drug side effects, ensuring treatment success, and minimizing the risk of colectomy.© 2024 The Author(s). This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

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