What are the complications of mono?
A common, but usually not serious, complication of mono is a mild inflammation of the liver, or hepatitis. This form of hepatitis is rarely serious or requires treatment. The enlargement of the spleen that occurs with mono makes traumatic rupture of the spleen a possible complication. Swelling of the throat and tonsils can also lead to airway obstruction when severe. Fortunately, the more severe complications of mono are quite rare, and mono is very rarely fatal in healthy people. The rare severe complications include destruction of red blood cells (hemolytic anemia) and inflammation of the sac surrounding the heart (pericarditis), the heart muscle itself (myocarditis), and the brain (encephalitis). Mono tends to be more aggressive in patients with abnormal immune systems, such as people with AIDS or those who are taking medications that suppress immune function. The EBV has been associated with some types of cancers, most commonly lymphomas. This occurs most frequently in people whose
