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Original ArticleOpen Access
Fatal Adenovirus Infections in Infants Probably Infected with HIV
Bhanthumkosol D 
Adenovirus infections occur commonly in infants and children but are rarely fatal.
Although immunosuppression has been associated recently with fatal outcome of adenovirus
infections, reports of major morbidity or mortality caused by adenovirus infection in HIV positive
patients are infrequent.
This is the first report on fatal adenovirus infections in presumably HIV - positive
infants in Thailand. Three infants, aged 4, 8 and 5 months, were hospitalized with diagnoses of
pneumonia and ARDS, pneumonia with hepatomegaly and ARDS, and pediatric AIDS with
pneumonia, respectively. All the infants died within a few weeks after hospitalization. Serologic
tests revealed positive anti - HIV in all three infants. Unfortunately, no additional investigation
for definite diagnosis of HIV infection was employed.
Pathological findings from autopsy and post mortem needle biopsies revealed adenovirus
pneumonia in the first two infants, and massive adenovirus infection of the liver in the
third infant. Diagnoses were based on characteristic light microscopic pathological findings, and
demonstration of viral particles arranged in crystalline arrays in the nucleus of the infected cells
by electron microscopy.
Although immunosuppression has been associated recently with fatal outcome of adenovirus
infections, reports of major morbidity or mortality caused by adenovirus infection in HIV positive
patients are infrequent.
This is the first report on fatal adenovirus infections in presumably HIV - positive
infants in Thailand. Three infants, aged 4, 8 and 5 months, were hospitalized with diagnoses of
pneumonia and ARDS, pneumonia with hepatomegaly and ARDS, and pediatric AIDS with
pneumonia, respectively. All the infants died within a few weeks after hospitalization. Serologic
tests revealed positive anti - HIV in all three infants. Unfortunately, no additional investigation
for definite diagnosis of HIV infection was employed.
Pathological findings from autopsy and post mortem needle biopsies revealed adenovirus
pneumonia in the first two infants, and massive adenovirus infection of the liver in the
third infant. Diagnoses were based on characteristic light microscopic pathological findings, and
demonstration of viral particles arranged in crystalline arrays in the nucleus of the infected cells
by electron microscopy.
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