Mononucleosis complications

## Contents

* 1 Overview
* 2 Complications
* 2.1 Rare fatal complications
* 2.2 Non-fatal complications
* 3 References

## Overview[edit | edit source]

Fatalities from mononucleosis are extremely rare in developed nations. However, chronic sub-clinical infection may persist secondary to the dormant virus within the B cells. Reactivation of the virus may occur in susceptible hosts under the appropriate environmental stressors. Similar such reactivation or chronic sub-clinical viral activity in susceptible hosts may trigger multiple host autoimmune diseases and cancers secondary to virus predilection to B lymphocytes and its ability to alter both lymphocyte proliferation and lymphocyte antibody production.

## Complications[edit | edit source]

### Rare fatal complications[edit | edit source]

* Severe hepatitis
* Splenic rupture
* Airway obstruction secondary to adenopathy

### Non-fatal complications[edit | edit source]

Uncommon, non-fatal complications exist, including various forms of CNS and hematological affection.

* Hematological:

* Autoimmune hemolytic anemia indicated by a positive direct Coombs test
* Thrombocytopenia
* Granulocytopenia
* Splenic rupture which may occur without trauma, but impact to the spleen also adds as a contributing factor.

* Neurological:

* Cranial nerve palsies (Bell's palsy)
* Encephalitis
* Meningitis
* Hemiplegia
* Transverse myelitis
* EBV infection has also been proposed as a risk factor for the development of multiple sclerosis(MS) [1], but this has not been affirmed.

* Cardiology:

* Pericarditis
* Myocarditis

* Hepatology:

* Hepatitis causing elevation of serum bilirubin (in approximately 40% of patients)

## References[edit | edit source]

1. ↑ Ascherio A, Munger KL (2007). "Environmental risk factors for multiple sclerosis. Part I: the role of infection". Ann. Neurol. 61 (4): 288–99. doi:10.1002/ana.21117. PMID 17444504.

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