What Are the Complications of Mono?
Mild inflammation of the liver (hepatitis) is often a complication of mono. Hepatitis associated with mono is not usually serious and does not require treatment. Potential rupture of the spleen is a possible dangerous complication of Epstein-Barr virus infection. Severe complications of mono are rare and almost never cause death in healthy people. Rare and severe potential complications of mono include inflammation of the heart (myocarditis), inflammation of the heart lining (pericarditis), inflammation of the brain (encephalitis), and destruction of red blood cells (hemolytic anemia). People who have compromised immune systems, including those with AIDS or those who take medications that depress immune function, are more likely to have aggressive cases of mono. EBV has been linked to cancers including lymphoma and one type of Hodgkin's disease.