EPSTEIN-BARR-VIRUS AND SYNDROME OF INAPPROPRIATE MACROPHAGIC ACTIVATION

An 11-year-old girl presented with a typical serologically proven infe ctious mononucleosis with persistent fever, jaundice and hepatosplenom egaly in spite of steroid therapy. Laboratory tests showed pancytopeni a, fibrinopenia and hypertriglyceridemia. The liver biopsy revealed an infiltration with hyperbasophilic cells. One month later, a slight im provement was noted and fever disappeared after 4 days on aciclovir th erapy. The authors recall the spectrum of the macrophagic activation s yndrome.