Cytomegalovirus primo-infection in a patient with idiopathic proctitis.

A young heterosexual man, suffering from a low-grade, idiopathic proctitis, who developed severe rectal ulcerations at the time of a primary cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection is described. CMV was cultured from the rectum on two occasions. Sero-conversion and the appearance of a specific IgM antibody response to CMV were documented, suggesting that this was a case of a primo-infection by CMV, and not one of reactivation of latent CMV infection.