Myopericarditis during a primary Epstein-Barr virus infection in an otherwise healthy young adult. An unusual and insidious complication. Case report and a 60-year literature review

Infez Med. 2012 Jun;20(2):75-81.

Abstract

An otherwise healthy young man had infectious mononucleosis detected after an atypical clinical onset, including myocarditis and pericarditis. Our patient slowly but completely recovered from his cardiac complications after the course of his primary Epstein-Barr infection, as shown by periodical electrocardiographic and ultrasonographic studies, and a simple treatment with aspirin alone. Our case report is briefly reported, and discussed with regard to the existing literature, which has recorded such complications since the mid 1940s.

Publication types

  • Case Reports
  • Review

MeSH terms

  • Amoxicillin / adverse effects
  • Amoxicillin / therapeutic use
  • Antibodies, Viral / blood
  • Aspirin / therapeutic use
  • Diagnostic Errors
  • Drug Eruptions / etiology
  • Electrocardiography
  • Emergencies
  • Fever / drug therapy
  • Fever / etiology
  • Hepatomegaly / etiology
  • Herpesvirus 4, Human / immunology
  • Humans
  • Infectious Mononucleosis / complications*
  • Infectious Mononucleosis / diagnosis
  • Male
  • Myocarditis / etiology*
  • Myocarditis / virology
  • Pericarditis / etiology*
  • Pericarditis / virology
  • Splenomegaly / etiology
  • Young Adult

Substances

  • Antibodies, Viral
  • Amoxicillin
  • Aspirin