[Clinical and biological manifestations in primary parvovirus B19 infection in immunocompetent adult: a retrospective study of 26 cases]

Purpose: Parvovirus B19 causes erythema infectiosum in children, transient aplastic anemia in patients with hemoglobinopathies, pur red cell aplasia in immunocompromised persons and hydrops fetalis in pregnancy. The spectrum of clinical and biological manifestations in immunocompetent adult continues to grow up.

Methods: We report on a case series of 26 patients with primary parvovirus B19 infection in immunocompetent adults. This is a retrospective study over the period 2000 to 2010 in two departments of internal medecine. The diagnostic was clinical, serological or molecular.

Results: There was a female predominance (sex-ratio 3.33/1). Median patient age at diagnostic was 38.8 years (range: 18-68). The predominant symptoms were fever (65%), peripheral and symmetrical polyarthralgia (62%) and skin rash (58%). Two patients had neurological manifestations (sixth cranial nerve palsy, distal paresthesia) and one patient had myocarditis. Abnormal laboratory values included increased acute phase reactants (73%), thrombocytopenia (43%), lymphopenia (38%) and elevated liver enzymes (37%). Antinuclear (19%), anti-DNA (28%) and anti-phospholipids antibodies (14%), and hypocomplementemia (32%) were observed. False reaction with anti-CMV and anti-EBV IgM positivity was documented in 27% of cases. Two patients had persistent parvovirus B19 infection.

Conclusion: The diversity of the clinical manifestations of parvovirus B19 infection may be misleading for the clinician. However, the diagnosis should be suspected in immunocompetent adults to limit the risk of transmission to the patients who could develop a severe infection such as pregnant women or immunocompromised patients.