Sore Throat (Acute pharyngitis)

Pharyngitis is an inflammation of the throat or pharynx. In most cases it is painful and the initial infection can extend for a lengthy time period. It is the most common cause of a sore throat.

Like many types of inflammation, pharyngitis can be acute – characterized by a rapid onset and typically a relatively short course – or chronic. Pharyngitis can result in very large tonsils which cause trouble swallowing and breathing. Pharyngitis can be accompanied by a cough or fever, for example, if caused by an upper respiratory tract infection

Mononucleosis

The classical symptoms of mononucleosis are a sore throat, fever, fatigue, weight loss, malaise, pharyngeal inflammation, petechiae and loss of appetite. Common signs include lymphadenopathy (enlarged lymph nodes), splenomegaly (enlarged spleen), hepatitis (refers to inflammation of hepatocytes – cells in the liver) and hemolysis (the bursting of red blood cells). Older adults are less likely to have a sore throat or lymphadenopathy, but are instead more likely to present with hepatomegaly (enlargement of the liver) and jaundice. Rarer signs and symptoms include thrombocytopenia (lower levels of platelets), with or without pancytopenia (lower levels of all types of blood cells), splenic rupture, splenic hemorrhage, upper airway obstruction, pericarditis and pneumonitis. Another rare manifestation of mononucleosis is erythema multiforme.

Epstein Barr Virus

The Epstein-Barr virus (EBV), also called human herpesvirus 4 (HHV-4), is a cancer causing virus of the herpes family, which includes herpes simplex virus 1 and 2, and is one of the most common viruses in humans. Epstein-Barr virus occurs worldwide. It is known to cause infectious mononucleosis, is implicated in the causation of Burkitt’s lymphoma and Nasopharyngeal carcinoma, and is suspected to have a role in the pathogenesis of chronic fatigue syndrome.