Case Report: Splenic Infarction in Infectious Mononucleosis due to Epstein-Barr Virus Infection

Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) is the most common cause of infectious mononucleosis (IM) and IM is a clinical syndrome typically characterized by fever, pharyngitis, and cervical lymph node enlargement. We describe the case of a 19-year-old man with IM complicated by splenic infarction. The patient visited our hospital because of upper abdominal pain without a fever and sore throat. Abdominal computed tomography revealed a low-density area in the spleen, which indicated splenic infarction. The next day, he developed a fever. After diminishing abdominal pain and fever, he devel-oped pharyngitis accompanied by fever. Acute EBV infection was confirmed by serological tests. The patient was suc-cessfully managed with no specific therapy. Splenic infarction is a rare complication of IM and this case showed that splenic infarction can precede a fever and pharyngitis.