Severe respiratory insufficiency complicating Epstein-Barr virus infection: case report and review.

Abstract

We report a case involving a young adult who had life-threatening bilateral pneumonitis in the course of an acute Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) infection. Because of severe hypoxemia, the patient required mechanical ventilation and additional oxygenation by an intravascular oxygenator. The patient was treated with corticosteroids and survived without sequelae. Severe pulmonary involvement associated with EBV infection is a rare but potentially fatal complication of infectious mononucleosis. Similar cases reported in the literature are reviewed, and the therapeutic options for this particular complication are discussed.

• Authors: A Haller, L von Segesser, P C Baumann, M Krause
• Journal: Clinical infectious diseases : an official publication of the Infectious Diseases Society of America (Clin Infect Dis) Vol. 21 Issue 1 Pg. 206-9 (Jul 1995) ISSN: 1058-4838 [Print] United States
• PMID: 7578734 (Publication Type: Case Reports, Journal Article, Review)

Chemical References

• Anti-Bacterial Agents
• Prednisolone

Topics

• Acute Disease
• Adult
• Anti-Bacterial Agents
• Drug Therapy, Combination (therapeutic use)
• Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation
• Herpesvirus 4, Human (isolation & purification)
• Humans
• Hypoxia (virology)
• Infectious Mononucleosis (complications)
• Male
• Pneumonia, Viral (etiology, pathology, therapy)
• Prednisolone (therapeutic use)
• Radiography, Thoracic
• Respiration, Artificial
• Respiratory Insufficiency (pathology, therapy, virology)