Infectious Mononucleosis

Infectious Disease · ~7% of blueprint

Pathophysiology: Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) infecting B lymphocytes.
Signs & Symptoms: Fever, exudative pharyngitis, cervical lymphadenopathy, fatigue, splenomegaly.
Gold Standard Diagnosis: Usually clinical + atypical lymphocytosis; EBV-specific serology (VCA IgM without EBNA) if atypical. CDC does not recommend Monospot for general use (false negatives, esp. children).
First-line Treatment: Supportive care; no strenuous activity 3 wk, no contact sports 4 wk (splenic rupture); avoid amoxicillin.

High-Yield Pearl

Amoxicillin/ampicillin in mono → morbilliform rash; avoid contact sports (splenic rupture risk).

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Reviewed September 2026

Laboratory Testing for Epstein-Barr Virus (EBV) — Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2024
About Infectious Mononucleosis (Mono) — Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2024
StatPearls: Mononucleosis — StatPearls Publishing / NCBI Bookshelf, 2026

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