López-Navidad A, Domingo P, López-Talavera J C, Rabella N, Verger G
Department of Internal Medicine, Hospital de la Santa Creu i Sant Pau, Barcelona, Spain.
Scand J Infect Dis. 1996;28(2):185-7. doi: 10.3109/00365549609049073.
Severe renal disease in the setting of Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) infection is exceedingly rare. We report here the case of a 22-year-old man with acute EBV infection associated with severe interstitial nephritis. The patient developed chronic fatigue and chronic renal failure with a serological profile typical of primary EBV infection. Clinical improvement with anti-EBNA seroconversion occurred after acyclovir therapy. Our patient illustrates that chronic fatigue with major organ dysfunction and a serological profile of primary infection can be seen in chronic EBV infection. In such a case, acyclovir may prove beneficial.