Lethal hemorrhagic alveolitis after adenovirus pneumonia in a lung transplant recipient.

Viral infections are frequent and severe in lung transplant recipients. They frequently occur during the first year after transplantation. We report on a rare case of bilateral adenovirus necrotizing pneumonia with a diffuse alveolar hemorrhage, 4 years after bilateral lung transplantation. The medical evolution was lethal in 72 hours because of respiratory, renal, and cardiac failure. Considering this case and the growing evidence on the severity of adenoviral infections, we call for controlled studies and therapeutic recommendations.