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Cytomegalovirus (CMV) colitis is uncommon in young infants. Here we report a case of a 10-week-old breastfed infant admitted to the emergency room for rectal bleeding. He had had stools streaked with red blood for four days, was in good general condition, and was apyretic. Blood count, C-reactive protein, stool bacteriology and virology, abdominal X-ray examination, and abdominal ultrasounds did not reveal any abnormality. Cow's milk protein allergy was suggested despite the negativity of specific immunoglobulins E (IgE) and a diet excluding cow's milk protein was initiated in the mother. In a context of persistent rectal bleeding and good general condition, an endoscopic examination found diffuse hemorrhagic colitis and an erythematous aspect of the fundus. CMV was revealed by histological examination (typical cytopathic effect and immunostaining) and high viral load in the blood. The patient's immune balance was normal and the mother did not have any form of CMV infection. The diagnosis of primary CMV infection was retained in this immunocompetent child. Rectal bleeding disappeared without specific antiviral treatment. This observation points out that with rectal bleeding in an infant, cow's milk protein allergy should not be the only cause considered., (Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.)

Objectives: To evaluate the respective diagnostic value of flexible rectosigmoidoscopy and colonoscopy in the cytomegalovirus colitis., Methods: Twenty-four patients with AIDS were studied retrospectively. The entry criteria were: flexible rectosigmoidoscopy or colonoscopy, with 2 rectal and 2 caecal biopsies, presenting cytomegalovirus inclusions bodies linked to an inflammation at least on one colonic biopsy., Results: Twenty-four patients had 29 colonoscopies. In 16 cases colonoscopy was performed to the caecum. The endoscopic findings of the 16 full colonoscopies were: 7 right colitis, 5 diffuse colitis, 2 bisegmentary colitis, 1 proctitis and 1 non endoscopic lesion. The histologic findings of the 16 full colonoscopies were: 5 cytomegalovirus inclusions on rectal biopsies and 16 on caecal biopsies. For the 13 incomplete colonoscopies, 11 had inclusions on rectal biopsies. So the flexible rectosigmoidoscopy was not sufficient to find inclusions 13 times out of 29., Conclusion: Our study indicates that in the cytomegalovirus colitis, inclusions predominate in the caecum, isolated right colitis exists and extra-colonic cytomegalovirus disease is not always found. For these reasons full colonoscopy is necessary for diagnosis in patients with normal flexible rectosigmoidoscopy.