Acute Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) infections are common in young people with a good prognosis, manifested by fever, sore throat, abdominal pain, pharyngitis, itchy maculopapular erythematous rash, enlargement of cervical lymph nodes, splenomegaly, and hepatomegaly.1-8 EBV infections have been associated with malignant conditions because this agent affects CD8+ T cell proliferation, like in peripheral T cell lymphoma not otherwise specified; also described are Burkitt’s and Hodgkin’s lymphomas, leukemia, posttransplant or X-linked lymphoproliferative disorders, gastric or nasopharyngeal carcinoma, and Duncan’s disease.4-6,9 Differential diagnosis is based on positive Heterophile antibodies test, IgM anti-EBV, viral capsid antigen, and in situ hybridization in tissue samples, besides histopathologic pattern.
