Fulminant adenovirus hepatitis following unrelated bone marrow transplantation: failure of intravenous ribavirin therapy.
Fulminant hepatic failure due to adenovirus infection is a rare complication following stem cell transplantation. We report this complication in an unrelated bone marrow transplant recipient 30 weeks post-transplant. Treatment with intravenous ribavirin was started within 36 h of admission, but he succumbed to unusually fulminant hepatic failure. Adenovirus type 2 was isolated from stool surveillance samples and from post-mortem liver samples. Adenovirus DNA was detected by PCR in blood and sputum samples at admission and was identified in post-mortem liver tissue by electron microscopy. Implications of the failure of ribavirin therapy are discussed.
Chakrabarti
S
S
Department of Haematology, Birmingham Heartlands Hospital, UK.
Collingham
K E
KE
Fegan
C D
CD
Milligan
D W
DW
D000257:Adenoviridae Infections / Q000188:drug therapy*; D000328:Adult; D000998:Antiviral Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D016026:Bone Marrow Transplantation / Q000009:adverse effects*; D006501:Hepatic Encephalopathy / Q000188:drug therapy*; D006801:Humans; D007275:Injections, Intravenous; D008297:Male; D012254:Ribavirin / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*
D000998:Antiviral Agents; D012254:Ribavirin