Treatment of cytomegalovirus pneumonia after bone marrow transplantation with cytomegalovirus immunoglobulin combined with ganciclovir.

We studied the effect of cytomegalovirus immunoglobulin alone, or combined with ganciclovir, on the outcome of biopsy proven cytomegalovirus pneumonia after bone marrow transplantation. Treatment with cytomegalovirus immunoglobulin alone had no effect on the cytomegalovirus nor on clinical outcome. The combined treatment of cytomegalovirus immunoglobulin with ganciclovir suppressed the cytomegalovirus but all patients died because of ongoing pulmonary deterioration. These results may suggest that this combined treatment has limited value on the outcome of an established cytomegalovirus pneumonia after marrow transplantation.