infections
Infectious Mononucleosis
Diagnosis of Infectious Mononucleosis
A blood test The symptoms of infectious mononucleosis also occur in many other viral and bacterial infections. Therefore, infectious mononucleosis is often unrecognized. However, Swollen Lymph Nodes , particularly in the neck, strongly suggest infectious mononucleosis. Usually, a simple blood test known as a heterophile antibody or monospot test is done to confirm the diagnosis. This test can sometimes be negative early in illness in adolescents and adults, and if doctors strongly suspect the infection, they can repeat the test about a week later. This test is much less reliable and often negative in young children with infectious mononucleosis. An alternative test to confirm the diagnosis is a specific antibody blood test for EBV. ( Antibodies are produced by the immune system to defend against a particular attacker, such as EBV.) Often, a complete blood count is also done. Finding many characteristic mononuclear white blood cells (atypical lymphocytes) may be the first clue that the diagnosis is infectious mononucleosis. 