Korean J Pediatr Infect Dis.  2012 Dec;19(3):162-167.

A Case of Therapy of Aerosolized Ribavirin in a Leukemia Infant with RSV Infection

• Kwon HJ
• Oh MJ
• Lee JW
• Chung NG
• Cho B
• Kim HK
• Kang JH

Abstract

Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is the major cause of lower respiratory tract infection in infants. Life-threatening RSV infection is often reported in young children and immunocompromised hosts. Since there is no report on ribavirin therapy for RSV pneumonia in pediatric cancer patients in Korea, we report one case of RSV pneumonia that developed in an infant with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL). Despite administration of oral ribavirin and intravenous immunoglobulin, the patient's respiratory distress worsened and admission to an intensive care unit was necessary. Chest x-ray showed multifocal consolidation, pneumothorax, and pneumomediastinum. Treatment with aerosolized ribavirin led to significant clinical improvement. The role of aerosolized ribavirin is still controversial, but it might have a therapeutic potential for severe RSV pneumonia in children with leukemia.

Keyword

RSV infection; Leukemia; Child; Ribavirin

MeSH Terms

Child
Humans
Immunocompromised Host
Immunoglobulins
Infant
Intensive Care Units
Korea
Leukemia
Mediastinal Emphysema
Pneumonia
Pneumothorax
Precursor Cell Lymphoblastic Leukemia-Lymphoma
Respiratory Syncytial Viruses
Respiratory Tract Infections
Ribavirin
Thorax
Immunoglobulins
Ribavirin

Figure

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  Fig. 1 Computed tomography of chest revealed multifocal air-space consolidation in both lungs (A), and chest radiography showed pneumothorax and pneumomediastinum in right side (B). After aerosolized ribavirin treatment, follow-up computed tomography (C) and chest radiography (D) showed improvement of patchy consolidations and pneumothorax.

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