Disseminated parainfluenza infection in a child with severe combined immunodeficiency.
An 8-month-old male infant with severe combined immunodeficiency syndrome was admitted to the hospital with pneumonitis and, subsequently, died at 21 months of age. During his lengthy hospitalization, parainfluenza virus type 3 (PIV-3) was isolated from respiratory secretions and unusual sites, such as pericardial fluid, CSF, and WBCs. A postmortem examination showed apparent viral pancreatitis, and PIV-3 was isolated from the lung, brain, and pericardial fluid. To our knowledge, this is the first reported case of disseminated parainfluenza infection identified during life. We speculated that a mutant fusion protein may have been elaborated by the virus, allowing dissemination beyond the respiratory tract.
D001921:Brain / Q000382:microbiology; D002555:Cerebrospinal Fluid / Q000382:microbiology; D006801:Humans; D007153:Immunologic Deficiency Syndromes / Q000150:complications*; D007223:Infant; D007962:Leukocytes / Q000382:microbiology; D008168:Lung / Q000382:microbiology; D008297:Male; D010195:Pancreatitis / Q000209:etiology; D010224:Parainfluenza Virus 3, Human / Q000302:isolation & purification; D018184:Paramyxoviridae Infections / Q000150:complications*; D010490:Pericardial Effusion / Q000382:microbiology; D011014:Pneumonia / Q000209:etiology