Cytomegalovirus-induced Hemorrhagic Colitis in a Patient with Chronic Myeloid Leukemia (Chronic Phase) on Dasatinib as an Upfront Therapy

Dasatinib is a kinase inhibitor indicated for the treatment of newly diagnosed adults with Philadelphia chromosome-positive (Ph+) chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) in chronic phase and accelerated (myeloid or lymphoid blast) phase, and CML with resistance or intolerance to prior therapy including imatinib and in adults with Ph+ acute lymphoblastic leukemia1 The most common adverse reactions (≥15%) in patients with newly diagnosed chronic-phase (CP) CML include myelosuppression, fluid retention, and diarrhea, whereas in patients with resistance or intolerance to prior imatinib therapy, side effects include myelosuppression, fluid retention, diarrhea, headache, dyspnea, skin rash, fatigue, nausea, and hemorrhage. We report a 39-year-old Ethiopian female patient who received dasatinib as upfront therapy for the treatment of CP-CML who experienced chronic diarrhea for two months, which progressed to hemorrhagic colitis due to cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection of the colon. To our knowledge, this is the first case of CMV colitis in a patient receiving dasatinib as upfront therapy.