A rare fatal case of adenovirus serotype 4 associated acute disseminated encephalomyelitis in an adult: A case report

Zahra Qamar; Catherine M Tucker; Lawrence C Kenyon; Tricia L Royer

doi:10.1016/j.idcr.2021.e01213

A rare fatal case of adenovirus serotype 4 associated acute disseminated encephalomyelitis in an adult: A case report

IDCases. 2021 Jun 30:25:e01213. doi: 10.1016/j.idcr.2021.e01213. eCollection 2021.

Authors

Zahra Qamar¹, Catherine M Tucker², Lawrence C Kenyon², Tricia L Royer¹

Affiliations

¹ Department of Medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases, Thomas Jefferson University Hospital, 1015 Chestnut Street, Suite 1020, Philadelphia, PA, 19107, United States.
² Department of Pathology, Anatomy and Cell Biology, Thomas Jefferson University Hospital, 280 Main Building, 132 S. 10th Street, Philadelphia, PA, 19107, United States.

Abstract

Acute disseminated encephalomyelitis (ADEM) is an autoimmune demyelinating disease directed against the myelin sheath of the central nervous system that typically presents 1-4 weeks after an infection or vaccination, most commonly in children. We describe a case of a young female who presented with rapidly progressive mental deterioration and died secondary to ADEM following an adenovirus upper respiratory tract infection.

Keywords: ADEM; Acute disseminated encephalomyelitis; Adenovirus; Adult.

Publication types

Case Reports