Sudden death due to spontaneous rupture of the spleen from infectious mononucleosis

An 18-year-old white male showing no external signs of trauma was discovered dead in his bathroom. A ten-day history of illness resulting in symptomatic treatment for viremia one day before death was elicited. Autopsy revealed splenic rupture, massive peritoneal hemorrhage, and atypical lymphocytes. Laboratory tests on postmortem samples confirmed the diagnosis of infectious mononucleosis.