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| www.smw.ch |
| Reusser P. |
Swiss Med Wkly 2002;132:374–378
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| Minireview Peer reviewed article |
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| Summary Immunocompromised cancer patients are at elevated risk for serious viral disease. The introduction into clinical use of potent antiviral agents and of rapid diagnostic tests resulted in the development of efficient management strategies for infections due to herpes simplex virus, varicellazoster virus, and cytomegalovirus. The emergence of herpesvirus resistance to acyclovir, ganciclovir, cidofovir, or foscarnet represents an important challenge. The new neuraminidase inhibitors zanamivir and oseltamivir are efficacious in the treatment of influenza in otherwise healthy adults, and need to be investigated among immunodeficient patients with malignancy. Preliminary data on pleconaril, a first broad-spectrum anti-picornaviral compound, are promising. |
Division of Medicine, Hôpital régional, Porrentruy, Switzerland |
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Copyright © 2002 EMH Swiss Medical Publishers Ltd. |
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