Respiratory syncytial virus as a trigger of a pulmonary hypertensive crisis after operative correction of aortic coarctation.
We discuss a 9-month-old male baby, submitted to surgery for correction of aortic coarctation, who showed severe bronchospasm, hypoxaemia, and cardio-respiratory arrest, and who died on the fifth postoperative day. The autopsy revealed histological signs of severe pulmonary vasoconstriction, possibly as a consequence of hypoxaemia secondary to bronchiolitis due to infection with the respiratory syncytial virus. This supposition was confirmed when viruses were detected in pulmonary tissue by immunohistochemistry and electron microscopy.
Castelli
Jussara B
JB
Laboratory of Pathology, Heart Institute (InCor), University of São Paulo Medical School, São Paulo, Brazil. anpjussara@incor.usp.br
Maeda
Wilma T
WT
Aiello
Vera D
VD
D000914:Antibodies, Viral / Q000276:immunology; D001017:Aortic Coarctation / Q000601:surgery*; D001980:Bronchi / Q000648:ultrastructure / Q000821:virology; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D017809:Fatal Outcome; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D006976:Hypertension, Pulmonary / Q000473:pathology / Q000821:virology*; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D008854:Microscopy, Electron; D011183:Postoperative Complications; D018357:Respiratory Syncytial Virus Infections / Q000150:complications* / Q000473:pathology / Q000821:virology; D012136:Respiratory Syncytial Viruses / Q000276:immunology*
D000914:Antibodies, Viral