Fulminant Epstein-Barr virus - infectious mononucleosis in an adult with liver failure, splenic rupture, and spontaneous esophageal bleeding with ensuing esophageal necrosis: a case report.
BACKGROUND
Infectious mononucleosis is a clinical syndrome most commonly associated with primary Epstein-Barr virus infection. The majority of patients with infectious mononucleosis recovers without apparent sequelae. However, infectious mononucleosis may be associated with several acute complications. In this report we present a rare case of esophageal rupture that has never been described in the literature before.


METHODS
We present the case of an 18-year-old Caucasian man affected by severe infectious mononucleosis complicated by fulminant hepatic failure, splenic rupture and esophageal necrosis.


CONCLUSIONS
Although primary Epstein-Barr virus infection is rarely fatal, fulminant infection may occur - in this case leading to hepatic failure, splenic rupture and esophageal necrosis, subsequently making several surgical interventions necessary. We show here that infectious mononucleosis is not only a strictly medical condition, but can also lead to severe surgical complications.
Department of General, Visceral and Transplantation Surgery, RWTH Aachen University Hospital, Pauwelsstrasse 30, 52074 Aachen, Germany. dbusch@ukaachen.de.
Daniel
D
Busch
Sarah
S
Hilswicht
Dominik S
DS
Schöb
Klaus T
KT
von Trotha
Karsten
K
Junge
Nikolaus
N
Gassler
Son
S
Truong
Ulf P
UP
Neumann
Marcel
M
Binnebösel