Analysis of clinical, haematological and biochemical parameters in patients with infectious mononucleosis

Abstract

© 2015, University of Kragujevac, Faculty of Science. All rights reserved. Primary infection with Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) usually occurs in early childhood and often does not present clinical symptoms. More than 90% of adults are infected with this virus. A primary infection that occurs in adolescence or adulthood is usually clinically presented as infectious mononucleosis with a triad of symptoms: fever, lymphadenopathy and pharyngitis. Our retrospective study included 51 patients with a median age of 17 (9-23) years and serologically confirmed infectious mononucleosis. All patients with infectious mononucleosis were treated at the Clinic for Infectious Diseases at the Clinical Center in Kragujevac during 2013. We analysed the clinical, haematological and laboratory parameters of patients. The aspartate-aminotransferase levels were increased in 40 patients, with a mean value of 116.24 (±93.22); the alanine-aminotransferase levels were increased in 44 patients, with a mean value of 189.24 (±196.69). Lymphadenopathy was the most common clinical feature upon admission in 49 patients (96%); 38 patients (74.5%) had splenomegaly, and 20 (39%) had hepatomegaly. Twenty-six patients (51%) had leukocytosis with lymphocytosis, while 15 (75%) of the 20 who had a normal leukocyte count also had lymphocytosis. In the present study, we updated the clinical, haematological and laboratory parameters, which may lead to the establishment of an accurate diagnosis and promote further treatment of the patients.