Hostname: page-component-586b7cd67f-t7czq Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-22T22:09:42.925Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

An unusual presentation of an unusual complication of infectious mononucleosis: haematemesis and melaena

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  29 June 2007

C. B. Koay*
Affiliation:
Department of Otolaryngology, The Royal Berkshire Hospital, Reading RG1 5AN.
C. Norval
Affiliation:
Department of Otolaryngology, The Royal Berkshire Hospital, Reading RG1 5AN.
*
Address for correspondence: Mr C. B. Koay, ENT Department. The Radcliffe Infirmary. Woodstock Road. Oxford OX2 6HE.

Abstract

Tonsillar haemorrhage is a rare complication of infectious mononucleosis. We present a case of life-threatening tonsillar haemorrhage secondary to infectious mononucleosis in a young man whose predominant symptoms at presentation were haematemesis and melaena. The origin of the haemorrhage was not obvious until the patient was examined under anaesthesia. The bleeding was controlled by emergency tonsillectomy.

Type
Clinical Records
Copyright
Copyright © JLO (1984) Limited 1995

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Griffies, W. S., Wotowic, P., Wildes, T. O. (1988) Spontaneous tonsillar hemorrhage. Laryngoscope 98: 365368.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
John, D. G., Thomas, P. L., Semeraro, A. (1988) Tonsillar haemorrhage and measles. Journal of Laryngology and Otology 102: 6466.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Johnsen, T., Katholm, M., Stangerup, S. E. (1984) Otolaryngological complications in infectious mononucleosis Journal of Laryngology and Otology 98: 9991001.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Kelly, P. C., Sanders, M. (1974) Tonsillar hemorrhage: unusual complication of infectious mononucleosis New York State Journal of Medicine 74: 20212022.Google Scholar
Levy, S., Brodsky, L., Stanievich, J. (1989) Hemorrhagic tonsillitis Laryngoscope 99: 1518.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
McCormick, M. S., Hassett, P. (1987) Spontaneous haemorrhage from the tonsil (a case report). Journal of Laryngology and Otology 101: 613616.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
McCurdy, J. A. (1974) Life-threatening complications of infectious mononucleosis Laryngoscope 85: 15571562.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Penman, H. G. (1970) Fatal infectious mononucleosis: a critical review. Journal of Clinical Pathology 23: 765771.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Schumacher, H. R., Barcay, S. J. (1962) Haemorrhagic phenomenon in infectious mononucleosis American Journal of the Medical Sciences 243: 175181.Google Scholar
Skinner, D. W., Chui, P. (1987) Spontaneous tonsillar haemorrhage. Journal of Laryngology and Otology 101: 611612.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed