ISSN: 0022-1198
CODEN: JFSCA
Page Count: 6

Human Herpesvirus-6 and Sudden Death in Infancy: Report of a Case and Review of the Literature
Rogers, BB
University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, TX

Brian Dawson, D
University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, TX

Ross, KF

Hoang, MP
University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, TX

Scheuermann, RH
University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, TX

(Received 11 May 1998; accepted 1 July 1998)

Abstract

Investigation of sudden death in infancy is a vital function of the medical examiner's office. Surveillance of these cases may lead to recognition of new diseases or new manifestations of previously described diseases. Human herpesvirus-6 (HHV-6) is a relatively newly described virus that has been recognized as a cause of acute febrile illness in early childhood. While most cases are apparently self-limited, seven fatal cases have been reported. We present a case of a seven-month-old Latin American male with recent otitis media and vomiting who was found dead in bed. Autopsy revealed interstitial pneumonitis with an atypical polymorphous lymphocytic infiltrate in the liver, kidney, heart, spleen, lymph nodes, and bone marrow, associated with erythrophagocytosis. Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) analysis of formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded tissue was positive for HHV-6 and negative for Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) and cytomegalovirus (CMV). HHV-6 was also detected in the atypical lymphoid infiltrate by in-situ hybridization.

Keywords:
forensic science, human herpesvirus 6, HHV-6, sudden death in infancy, atypical polymorphous lymphocytic infiltrate

Paper ID: JFS14481J
DOI: 10.1520/JFS14481J
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