Acute Acalculous Cholecystitis Complicating the Course of Infectious Mononucleosis

Abstract

Infectious Mononucleosis is the most common medical condition caused by Epstein-Barr virus (EBV). EBV is a member of the family Herpesviridae widely prevalent in nature and infects >95% of the world's population. EBV establishes lifelong latent infection after the primary illnes, memory B cells are the reservoir for EBV in the body. Fatigue, fever, pharyngitis, lymphadenopathy and splenomegaly are the mayor clinical manifestations of Infectious Mononucleosis. Hepatic inflammation probably due to infiltration of cytotoxic T lymphocytes with mild, transient elevations in serum aminotransferases is often reported and mild jaundice is found in 5% of cases. Acute acalculous cholecystitis is the inflammation of gallbladder without the presence of calculi. This is uncommon in children and is usually caused by infections and rarely follow abdominal trauma, burn injury or associate systemic vasculitis. AAC complicating the course of Infectious Mononucleosis is rarely reported in children but is associated with favorable outcome, all cases recovered with medical treatment. We report the case of a 8 years female patient with AAC during the course of IM and review of the literature.