Fatal adenovirus pneumonia in infants. Correlation of histologic and electron microscopic observations.

Many structures morphologically identical with adenovirions were found in large numbers in typically altered respiratory epithelial cells in 10-year-old sections stained with hematoxylin and eosin of 2 cases of a histologically unique type of fatal pneumonia in infancy. These observations confirm, beyond reasonable doubt, an etiologic role of adenoviruses in the initiation and development of this type of pneumonia. The technic used, which was a modification of one previously described, is given in detail, since such methods may be useful in solving other etiologic problems.