Although rare, complications of mono can occur. These complications can affect the blood, spleen, nervous system, liver, heart, and lungs. While some of these complications associated with mono may not require treatment, others (such as a ruptured spleen) are quite serious. Burkitt's lymphoma and nasopharyngeal carcinoma (two rare cancers that are not normally found in the United States) have also been identified as possible, yet extremely rare, complications of mono.
Complications of Mono: An Overview
It is possible for complications of mono to occur. Although these mono complications occur infrequently, when they do develop, they can be dramatic.
Complications of mono can affect the:
- Blood
- Spleen
- Nervous system
- Liver
- Heart
- Lungs.
Blood-Related Complications of Mono
Complications of mono that affect the blood can include:
- Autoimmune hemolytic anemia (destruction of red blood cells)
- Thrombocytopenia (decrease in the number of platelets, which assist in blood clotting)
- Granulocytopenia (deficiency of white blood cells).
These blood complications of mono usually improve over 1 to 2 months, without any treatment.
Complications of Mono: Ruptured Spleen
Infrequently, the spleen can rupture in someone with
mononucleosis. When the spleen does rupture in such cases, it usually happens during the second or third week of the illness. Severe abdominal pain is the most common symptom associated with a ruptured spleen. Surgery is the only way to treat this potential complication of mono.
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