Failure of intravenous ribavirin in the treatment of invasive adenovirus infection following allogeneic bone marrow transplantation: a case report.

We report a case of fatal adenovirus infection in a 37-year-old female who underwent allogeneic bone marrow transplantation (BMT) for acute myelogenous leukaemia (AML). Post BMT she developed acute grade II graft-vs.-host disease (aGVHD) requiring high-dose steroids and anti-thymocyte globulin. Additionally, her clinical course was complicated with adenovirus-associated haemorrhagic cystitis and viraemia. Intravenous ribavirin was obtained and administered for 5 days without success; the patient's mental status deteriorated rapidly and she died on day 69 post-transplant. Radiological imaging revealed diffuse cortical necrosis. At autopsy adenovirus was identified in her bladder, kidneys and lungs.