Fatal disseminated adenoviral infection in an adult heart transplant patient.
In heart transplant recipients, infection is one of the leading causes of morbidity and mortality. In adult heart transplant patients, cytomegalovirus is the most frequently encountered viral pathogen. Conversely, disseminated adenoviral infection is observed mainly in children, where it is predictive of allograft rejection and coronary vasculopathy. The literature contains only a few reports of adenoviral infections in adult heart transplant recipients. Limited information is available concerning the diagnosis and epidemiology of such infections and their relationship to organ rejection, heart failure and overall outcomes in these patients. To promote an awareness of this potentially lethal complication, we present a case of fatal disseminated adenoviral infection in an adult heart transplant recipient.
Department of Pathology, University of Texas-Houston, Houston, Texas, USA.
Doina
D
Ivan
O H
OH
Frazier
Jacki
J
Abrams
D000257:Adenoviridae Infections / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology*; D016027:Heart Transplantation; D006801:Humans; D007165:Immunosuppression Therapy / Q000009:adverse effects; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology*