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Fatal Epstein-Barr virus infection in an immunocompetent host: a postmortem diagnosis

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Abstract

Meningoencephalitis is the most common neurological complication related to Epstein-Barr virus (EBV), and in immunocompetent adults, it is most commonly self-limited. We describe a case of fatal EBV infection characterized by meningoencephalitis, foci of myocarditis and interstitial nephritis in an immunocompetent 74-year-old man. The postmortem diagnosis was made based on the presence of EBV DNA in the cerebrospinal fluid and by immunohistochemical assay that showed spots of intracellular positivity to anti-EBV antibody in brain tissue.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Section of Legal Medicine, Department of Surgical Pathology, Medical, Molecular and Critical Area, University of Pisa, Via Roma 67, 56126, Pisa, Italy

    Aniello Maiese

  2. Department of Anatomical, Histological, Forensic and Orthopaedic Sciences, Sapienza University of Rome, Viale Regina Elena 336, 00161, Rome, Italy

    Raffaele La Russa, Paola Santoro, Alessandra De Matteis & Vittorio Fineschi

  3. Fondazione Policlinico Universitario A. Gemelli IRCCS Research Hospital, Rome, Italy

    Giovanna Passaro

Authors
  1. Aniello Maiese
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  2. Raffaele La Russa
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  3. Giovanna Passaro
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  4. Paola Santoro
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  5. Alessandra De Matteis
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  6. Vittorio Fineschi
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Correspondence to Vittorio Fineschi.

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Maiese, A., La Russa, R., Passaro, G. et al. Fatal Epstein-Barr virus infection in an immunocompetent host: a postmortem diagnosis. Forensic Sci Med Pathol 16, 714–717 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12024-020-00254-z

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12024-020-00254-z

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