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Glandular Fever Effects

Glandular fever, more commonly known as infectious mononucleosis or mono, is an infection caused by the Ebstein-Barr virus. It is a very common virus, transmitted by close contact with saliva, especially among adolescents, which has given it the name "the kissing disease."

  1. Common Symptoms

    • The most common symptoms of mononucleosis are fever, sore throat with whitish exudates on the tonsils and pharynx, and swollen lymph nodes. The swelling of the throat and lymph nodes around the neck can be severe, causing neck stiffness, and difficulty breathing and swallowing. This can lead to dehydration and potential airway obstruction. Treatment for this disease is supportive, but steroids are sometimes used if there is a risk of airway obstruction because of the swelling of the tonsils.

    Gastrointestinal Effects

    • Another of the common effects of glandular fever is enlargement of the liver and spleen. Splenic rupture is a rare complication resulting from direct trauma to the spleen in a patient with glandular fever. Rupture can result in severe internal bleeding, which can be fatal if uncontrolled.

    Hematologic effects

    • Patients with glandular fever will exhibit an increase in blood lymphocytes. These cells are important in the fight against viruses lie Ebstein-Barr. The typical finding is of atypical lymphocytes. Other blood findings include anemia, thrombocytopenia (a decrease in the platelet count) and hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis (a syndrome in which macrophages, the cells that fight bacterial infections, start gobbling up other blood cells).

    Central Nervous System Effects

    • Glandular fever can affect the central nervous system. It can cause meningitis, encephalitis (inflammation of the brain) and affect the nerves that enervate the muscles of the face, eyes, and neck. Rarely, the infection can cause Guillan-Barré syndrome, a condition of ascending bilateral paralysis of the muscles in the extremities.

    Warning

    • Glandular fever has been associated with the development of Burkitt's lymphoma, a cancer of the lymphatic system. This association is observed more frequently in Central Africa. The Ebstein-Barr virus has also been associated with the development of other lymphomas in children.

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