Lethal disseminated adenovirus type 1 infection in a patient with chronic lymphocytic leukemia

A 45-year-old woman with chronic lymphocytic leukemia developed fever followed by decreasing liver function. Her clinical condition rapidly deteriorated, acute liver necrosis developed, and the patient died of hepatic and renal failure. Adenovirus type 1 was isolated before death from blood, urine and throat and found in liver and lung at autopsy. Serologic studies showed that the infection was primary and that the patient was unable to mount an antibody response to the infection. Adenovirus type 1 is an uncommon cause of lethal infections in immunocompromised patients.