Disseminated Parainfluenza Infection in a Child With Severe Combined Immunodeficiency

An 8-month-old male infant with severe combined immunodeficiency syndrome was admitted to the hospital with pneumonitis and, subsequently, died at 21 months of age. During his lengthy hospitalization, parainfluenza virus type 3 (PIV-3) was isolated from respiratory secretions and unusual sites, such as pericardial fluid, CSF, and WBCs. A postmortem examination showed apparent viral pancreatitis, and PIV-3 was isolated from the lung, brain, and pericardial fluid. To our knowledge, this is the first reported case of disseminated parainfluenza infection identified during life. We speculated that a mutant fusion protein may have been elaborated by the virus, allowing dissemination beyond the respiratory tract.