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Immunosuppressive agents (azathioprine, methotrexate) are increasingly being used in the treatment of inflammatory bowel disease. The use of immunosuppressive agents is associated with a greater risk of opportunistic infections, the most frequent of which are those caused by cytomegalovirus and varicella zoster virus. We present four cases of opportunistic infections due to Herpesviruses in patients undergoing immunosuppressive treatment with azathioprine for Crohn's disease. We also review the literature published on this topic. Two patients presented cutaneous varicella complicated by pneumonia and esophagitis respectively, one patient had cutaneous herpes zoster and the other had fatal pneumonia possibly caused by the Herpesvirus. In the first three the clinical course of the infection was favorable after withdrawing immunosuppressant treatment and initiating treatment with aziclovir. In patients Crohn's disease azathioprine treatment increases the risk of opportunistic infection by Herpesvirus. However, in the absence of other factors that increase immunosuppression, these infections usually have a benign course with specific antiviral therapy.

The authors studied the skin disorders in 50 patients who have undergone renal transplantation. They observed: -- Viral infections (herpes simplex, herpes Zoster, warts) in 56% of the patients. -- Bacterial infections in 36%, resulting in septicemia in 8% of the cases. -- Fungal infections in 26% of the patients. These infections appeared more severe than usual and recurred frequently. The occurence of several infections processes in the same patient was not uncommon. The clinical aspect and high incidence of various infections is related to immunosuppresive therapy. However, there is no clear-cut correlation between the type of infection and the type of treatment used. -- Squamous cell carcinoma occured in one patient. A high incidence of malignancies is known to occur in immunosuppressed patients. -- Skin signs related to hemodialysis (pruritus, hypermelanosis, skin dryness, vascular disturbances) regressed. -- The incidence of adverse reactions to drugs was high. -- 4 cases of ulcerations of the oral mucosa probably related to Azathioprine were observed.