Successful treatment with intravesical cidofovir for virus-associated hemorrhagic cystitis after allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation: A case report and a review of the literature

Virus-associated hemorrhagic cystitis (VAHC) is a formidable complication after allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (allo-HSCT). The standard management of severe VAHC after allo-HSCT has not been established. Intravenous administration of cidofovir (CDV), an acyclic nucleoside analogue with broad-spectrum activity against DNA viruses, has been reported to be effective for VAHC, but it can cause severe renal toxicity. Here we report four cases who achieved clinical responses with intravesical instillation of CDV for severe VAHC after allo-HSCT. Median age was 57 years (40–63), and all were male. The underlying diseases were hematological malignancies. Three had received bone marrow transplantation, and one received cord blood transplantation twice. Conditioning regimen was myeloablative for one, and reduced-intensity for three. The viral types were BK virus and/or adenovirus. Two patients had received CDV intravenously prior to the intravesical therapy. A dose of intravesical CDV was 2–5 mg/kg. In all cases, symptoms of cystitis improved dramatically within a few days without showing any systemic adverse effects. The virological response was observed in two cases. This local therapy was effective even in the cases refractory to the intravenous CDV and a case with severe renal failure. Along with the review of literature, we propose that the intravesical instillation of CDV can be a therapeutic option for severe VAHC after allo-HSCT.