MONONUCLEOSIS

Course overview

MONONUCLEOSIS CLASSICALLY PRESENTS WITH FEVER, LYMPHADENOPATHY, AND TONSILLAR PHARYNGITIS. THE TERM INFECTIOUS MONONUCLEOSIS WAS FIRST USED IN THE 1920S TO DESCRIBE A GROUP OF STUDENTS WITH A SIMILAR PHARYNGEAL ILLNESS AND BLOOD LABORATORY FINDINGS OF LYMPHOCYTOSIS AND ATYPICAL MONONUCLEAR CELLS. IT WAS ONLY LATER THAT THE EPSTEIN-BARR VIRUS (EBV) WAS ESTABLISHED AS THE CAUSE OF MONONUCLEOSIS AFTER AN EXPOSED HEALTHCARE WORKER DEVELOPED A POSITIVE HETEROPHILE TEST. THIS ACTIVITY REVIEWS THE CAUSE, PATHOPHYSIOLOGY, AND PRESENTATION OF MONONUCLEOSIS AND HIGHLIGHTS THE ROLE OF THE INTERPROFESSIONAL TEAM IN ITS MANAGEMENT.