Acute renal failure secondary to EBV in a 21-year-old healthy male: a case report

Abstract

Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) affects 9 out of 10 people at some point in their lives. Though generally a benign infection, it can present with a plethora of symptoms and complications. We present the case of a 21-year-old previously healthy male suffering from EBV who presented with an 8-day history of odynophagia, pharyngitis, cough, abdominal pain and fatigue, previously he also had a fever which reached a maximum of 38.5 °C. The patient’s clinical exam was positive only for abdominal tenderness. During his hospitalisation for EBV, our patient suffered sudden renal failure over the course of 4 days, with a glomerular filtration rate dropping to 33 mL/min/1.73 m2, before spontaneously recovering to normal levels. This occurred with supportive treatment only and without the use of corticosteroids. This case illustrates an atypical presentation of EBV infection and provides a further example of spontaneous recovery of renal function.