Severe pneumonia after heart transplantation as a result of human parvovirus B19.

The diverse manifestations of human parvovirus B19 infection have been well established. Erythema infectiosum, fetal hydrops, adult arthropathy, and aplastic anemia in patients with hemoglobinopathies or underlying immunocompromise have been described. Recently we successfully treated a patient who, after heart transplantation, had fever, rash, and pneumonia with respiratory failure caused by human parovirus B19. Human parovirus B19 has not been reported previously as a pathogen causing pulmonary disease after pediatric heart transplantation, and we wish to report it at this time.