Upper airway obstruction in infectious mononucleosis

Severe Upper Airway Obstruction in a Patient With Infectious Mononucleosis

Infectious mononucleosis (IM) is a clinical disease caused by the Epstein-Barr virus (EBV). Common presenting symptoms include sore throat, lymph node enlargement, fever, and malaise. Although severe upper airway obstruction is uncommon, it is a potentially fatal complication that requires immediate intervention. We describe the case of an 18-year-old Hispanic man who presented with a progressive sore throat and difficulty speaking, requiring endotracheal intubation for airway protection. CT images showed diffuse swelling of Waldeyer's tonsillar ring, multiple enlarged lymphadenopathies, and splenomegaly. Acute EBV infection was confirmed considering clinical presentation and using the heterophile antibody, anti-nuclear and anti-viral capsid antigens, and quantitative PCR. The patient was managed with ventilatory support, empirical antibiotic therapy, and systemic corticosteroids, achieving a positive outcome. Our case illustrates the use of corticosteroids in managing severe upper airway obstruction complicating IM.

[Virus-induced exanthems in returning travellers]

Dermatological diseases are among the most common travel-associated diseases. In particular, viral infections not only with tropical and subtropical pathogens, but also with viruses common in Germany, which are often accompanied by skin rashes and general symptoms, are of great importance. In addition to an accurate travel history and possible risk exposures, epidemiological information on country-specific risks in combination with molecular and serological analyses is helpful in making the correct diagnosis. This article provides an overview of important virus-induced exanthems in returned travellers.

Epstein Barr Virus: Development of Vaccines and Immune Cell Therapy for EBV-Associated Diseases

Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) is the first human tumor virus discovered and is strongly implicated in the etiology of multiple lymphoid and epithelial cancers. Each year EBV associated cancers account for over 200,000 new cases of cancer and cause 150,000 deaths world-wide. EBV is also the primary cause of infectious mononucleosis, and up to 70% of adolescents and young adults in developed countries suffer from infectious mononucleosis. In addition, EBV has been shown to play a critical role in the pathogenesis of multiple sclerosis. An EBV prophylactic vaccine that induces neutralizing antibodies holds great promise for prevention of EBV associated diseases. EBV envelope proteins including gH/gL, gB and gp350 play key roles in EBV entry and infection of target cells, and neutralizing antibodies elicited by each of these proteins have shown to prevent EBV infection of target cells and markedly decrease EBV titers in the peripheral blood of humanized mice challenged with lethal dose EBV. Recent studies demonstrated that immunization with the combination of gH/gL, gB and/or gp350 induced markedly increased synergistic EBV neutralizing activity compared to immunization with individual proteins. As previous clinical trials focused on gp350 alone were partially successful, the inclusion of gH/gL and gB in a vaccine formulation with gp350 represents a promising approach of EBV prophylactic vaccine development. Therapeutic EBV vaccines have also been tested clinically with encouraging results. Immunization with various vaccine platforms expressing the EBV latent proteins EBNA1, LMP1, and/or LMP2 promoted specific CD4+ and CD8+ cytotoxic responses with anti-tumor activity. The addition of EBV envelope proteins gH/gL, gB and gp350 has the potential to increase the efficacy of a therapeutic EBV vaccine. The immune system plays a critical role in the control of tumors, and immune cell therapy has emerged as a promising treatment of cancers. Adoptive T-cell therapy has been successfully used in the prevention and treatment of post-transplant lymphoproliferative disorder. Chimeric antigen receptor T cell therapy and T cell receptor engineered T cell therapy targeting EBV latent proteins LMP1, LMP2 and/or EBNA1 have been in development, with the goal to increase the specificity and efficacy of treatment of EBV associated cancers.

Epstein-Barr virus and its association with disease - a review of relevance to general practice

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.

Acute Infections That Produce Upper Airway Obstruction

This chapter discusses the common and potentially serious infective causes of acute upper airway obstruction in children. The laryngeal anatomy of young children makes them particularly susceptible to upper airway obstruction, and during acute infections this is exacerbated by inflammation and edema of the airway mucosa. The most common cause of infective upper airway obstruction in children is viral laryngotracheobronchitis, or croup, which is usually a mild and self-limiting illness, but management with corticosteroids may still be necessary. Bacterial causes of upper airway obstruction have fortunately become rare since the introduction of the Haemophilus influenzae B (HiB) immunization, but a few cases of epiglottitis do still occur due to nonimmunization, vaccine failure, and infection with non-HiB organisms. These cases constitute a medical emergency due to the risk of rapid progression to complete airway obstruction. Other rare conditions are discussed including bacterial tracheitis, diphtheria, retropharyngeal, and peritonsillar abscesses. Key learning points in this chapter include the main discriminating factors of the various causes of infective upper airway obstruction, the importance of a calm and minimally distressing approach to the child presenting with stridor, and the need for early anesthetic team involvement in cases with a suspected bacterial etiology or signs of impending airway obstruction.

Atypical manifestations of Epstein-Barr virus in children: a diagnostic challenge

OBJECTIVE

Clarify the frequency and the pathophysiological mechanisms of the rare manifestations of Epstein-Barr virus infection.

SOURCES

Original research studies published in English between 1985 and 2015 were selected through a computer-assisted literature search (PubMed and Scopus). Computer searches used combinations of key words relating to "EBV infections" and "atypical manifestation."

SUMMARY OF THE FINDINGS

Epstein-Barr virus is a herpes virus responsible for a lifelong latent infection in almost every adult. The primary infection concerns mostly children and presents with the clinical syndrome of infectious mononucleosis. However, Epstein-Barr virus infection may exhibit numerous rare, atypical and threatening manifestations. It may cause secondary infections and various complications of the respiratory, cardiovascular, genitourinary, gastrointestinal, and nervous systems. Epstein-Barr virus also plays a significant role in pathogenesis of autoimmune diseases, allergies, and neoplasms, with Burkitt lymphoma as the main representative of the latter. The mechanisms of these manifestations are still unresolved. Therefore, the main suggestions are direct viral invasion and chronic immune response due to the reactivation of the latent state of the virus, or even various DNA mutations.

CONCLUSIONS

Physicians should be cautious about uncommon presentations of the viral infection and consider EBV as a causative agent when they encounter similar clinical pictures.

Epstein-Barr virus and skin manifestations in childhood

Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) is a human B-lymphotropic herpes virus and one of the most common viruses in humans. Specific skin signs related to EBV infection are the exanthem of mononucleosis, which is observed more frequently after ingestion of amoxicillin, and oral hairy leukoplakia, a disease occurring mostly in immunocompromised subjects with HIV infection. Other more uncommon cutaneous disorders that have been associated with EBV infection include virus-related exanthems or diseases such as Gianotti-Crosti syndrome, erythema multiforme, and acute genital ulcers. Other skin manifestations, not correlated to virus infection, such as hydroa vacciniforme and drug-induced hypersensitivity syndrome have also been linked to EBV. The putative involvement of EBV in skin diseases is growing similarly to other areas of medicine, where the role of EBV infection is being investigated in potentially debilitating inflammatory diseases. The prognosis of EBV infection in healthy, immunocompetent individuals is excellent. However, lifelong infection, which is kept in check by the host immune system, determines an unpredictable risk of pathologic unpredictable scenarios. In this review, we describe the spectrum of non-tumoral dermatological manifestations that can follow EBV primary infection or reactivation of EBV in childhood.

Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA): a complication of acute infectious mononucleosis infection in a child

Independently, obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) and infectious mononucleosis are not uncommon in the pediatric population, but acute onset of OSA, as a respiratory complication in the setting of acute EBV infection is extremely uncommon. Previous reports of this clinical entity are sparse and from nearly two decades ago. Urgent adenotonsillectomy was commonly advocated. This complication may be managed medically with systemic corticosteroids and non-invasive continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP), and a case is presented to highlight an updated management approach to this rarely encountered clinical problem in children.

Management of acute severe upper airway obstruction in children

There are many causes of acute severe upper airway obstruction (UAO) in children. The timing of symptom onset and the presence of fever will help to distinguish infectious from non-infectious conditions. Signs and symptoms from congenital malformations often present at birth but may also develop over time. The most common cause of UAO in children is croup. Choking on a foreign body also occurs relatively frequently. Evaluation of the child with UAO starts with a detailed history followed by a thorough physical examination, including an assessment of severity. Severe airway obstruction will result in respiratory failure. This situation requires an immediate response. A child with partial airway obstruction may initially have an adequate airway. However, this situation can deteriorate rapidly. Therefore, providing supportive care and mobilizing resources for definitive airway management may be the most appropriate interventions.