Acute respiratory distress syndrome induced by adenovirus in an otherwise healthy woman.

Acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) caused by adenovirus is a rare event in healthy adults, especially in non- military settings. Although treatment with intravenous ribavirin has been reported, supportive care, including mechanical ventilation, is known to be the main stay in the treatment of ARDS caused by adenovirus, with high-dose steroid treatment having rarely been reported. We report our experience with a 41-year-old, otherwise healthy, woman with ARDS, treated with high-dose steroid and mechanical ventilatory support.