RESPIRATORY SYNCYTIAL VIRUS, A RARE CAUSE OF SEVERE PNEUMONIA FOLLOWING BONE-MARROW TRANSPLANTATION

Mixed alveolar interstitial pneumonia is a much-feared complication in bone marrow transplant recipients because it carries a high mortality , Many cases in which an etiological agent is identified are due to fu ngi or cytomegalovirus; rarely, other infectious agents such as Pneumo cystis carinii or (para)influenzavirus are involved, In this report we describe a patient who received intense chemotherapy followed by auto logous bone marrow transplantation for relapse of testis seminoma and who developed a severe alveolar interstitial pneumonia caused by respi ratory syncytial virus in the early posttransplant period. The patient fully recovered after treatment with ribavirin.