Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jan 24, 2026
Establishment of Epstein-Barr Virus Growth-transformed Lymphoblastoid Cell Lines
Published on: November 8, 2011
Epstein-Barr virus and its association with disease - a review of relevance to general practice
Anders Fugl1, Christen Lykkegaard Andersen2,3
1The Copenhagen Primary Care Laboratory (CopLab) Database, Section of General Practice and The Research Unit for General Practice, Department of Public Health, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark.
Insights
General practitioners frequently manage Epstein-Barr virus (infectious mononucleosis), a common illness in children and adolescents. This review covers EBV-related conditions, complications like hepatitis and splenic rupture, and potential links to cancers and autoimmune diseases.
Area of Science:
- Virology
- Immunology
- General Practice
Background:
- General practitioners manage most Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) cases, primarily infectious mononucleosis in children and adolescents.
- Growing knowledge of EBV's role in benign and malignant diseases necessitates a focus on primary care relevance.
- Literature search of PubMed and Google Scholar identified EBV/infectious mononucleosis terms related to complications and associated conditions.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review Epstein-Barr virus-related conditions relevant to general practitioners.
- To highlight recent advances in EBV pathogenesis, management, and associated conditions.
- To provide guidance on acute complications, referral indications, and differential diagnoses.
Main Methods:
- Literature review using PubMed and Google Scholar.
- Focus on MeSH terms related to Epstein-Barr virus and infectious mononucleosis.
- Inclusion of early complications, late conditions, and associated diseases.
Main Results:
- Early complications include self-limiting hepatitis, rare splenic rupture, and airway compromise requiring corticosteroids.
- Established associations exist between EBV and lymphoproliferative cancers (Hodgkin, Burkitt lymphoma).
- EBV infection is a potential risk factor for multiple sclerosis and rheumatoid arthritis; chronic active EBV is rare but a diagnostic consideration.
Conclusions:
- Hepatitis is common and self-limiting; monitor symptomatic cases with liver tests.
- Splenic rupture is rare; caution advised for return to activity post-diagnosis.
- Awareness of EBV's role in cancers, MS, and chronic active EBV is crucial for general practitioners.
Background:
General practitioners encounter the vast majority of patients with Epstein-Barr virus-related disease, i.e. infectious mononucleosis in children and adolescents. With the expanding knowledge regarding the multifaceted role of Epstein-Barr virus in both benign and malignant disease we chose to focus this review on Epstein-Barr virus-related conditions with relevance to the general practitioners. A PubMed and Google Scholar literature search was performed using PubMed's MeSH terms of relevance to Epstein-Barr virus/infectious mononucleosis in regard to complications and associated conditions.
Main Text:
In the present review, these included three early complications; hepatitis, splenic rupture and airway compromise, as well as possible late conditions; lymphoproliferative cancers, multiple sclerosis, rheumatoid arthritis, and chronic active Epstein-Barr virus infection. This review thus highlights recent advances in the understanding of Epstein-Barr virus pathogenesis, focusing on management, acute complications, referral indications and potentially associated conditions.
Conclusions:
Hepatitis is a common and self-limiting early complication to infectious mononucleosis and should be monitored with liver tests in more symptomatic cases. Splenic rupture is rare. Most cases are seen within 3 weeks after diagnosis of infectious mononucleosis and may occur spontaneously. There is no consensus on the safe return to physical activities, and ultrasonic assessment of spleen size may provide the best estimate of risk. Airway compromise due to tonsil enlargement is encountered in a minority of patients and should be treated with systemic corticosteroids during hospitalization. Association between lymphoproliferative cancers, especially Hodgkin lymphoma and Burkitt lymphoma, and infectious mononucleosis are well-established. Epstein-Barr virus infection/infectious mononucleosis as a risk factor for multiple sclerosis has been documented and may be linked to genetic susceptibility. Chronic active Epstein-Barr virus infection is rare. However, a general practitioner should be aware of this as a differential diagnosis in patients with persisting symptoms of infectious mononucleosis for more than 3 months.
Related Concept Videos
01:10Review and Preview
Percentiles are a type of fractile that partition data into...
01:13Review and Preview
00:50What are Viruses?
01:21Association Areas of the Cortex
Prefrontal Association Area: This area is located in the frontal lobe and is involved in planning, decision-making, and moderating social behavior. It connects with primary motor areas,...
01:27Associative Learning
Classical conditioning, also known...
01:16Characteristics of Practical Op Amps
The ratio of differential gain to the common-mode gain is defined as the common-mode rejection ratio (CMRR). This ratio quantifies the ability of operational amplifiers (op-amps) to reject common-mode...