Use of polymerase chain reaction for diagnosis of disseminated adenovirus infection.

We report a fatal case of disseminated adenovirus infection with fulminant hepatic failure in an 8-month-old child after peripheral blood stem cell transplantation. The virus was identified in blood, urine, respiratory aspirate and stool samples and was typed as adenovirus type 2 through PCR and sequencing of part of the hexon gene, with the use of degenerated consensus primers.