Adenovirus nephritis and obstructive uropathy in a renal transplant recipient: case report and literature review

We report an unusual case of adenoviral nephritis in a 45-year-old woman who presented with fever, gross haematuria, acute kidney injury and obstructive uropathy 17 months following renal transplantation. Adenoviral nephritis was confirmed with immunohistochemistry. We identified 10 other published cases of adenoviral nephritis proven by immunohistochemistry. Obstructive uropathy has been reported only once before in a renal transplant recipient with adenoviral nephritis. Contrary to other reports, this case series shows that renal function may not always recover to baseline following the acute adenoviral disease. Adenoviral nephritis should be considered in the renal transplant patient with fever, haematuria, acute kidney injury and hydronephrosis in both the early and late post-transplant periods.