Case Report: From IgA nephropathy to pneumonia, periappendiceal abscess, pulmonary arterial hypertension, and basal ganglia calcification: a case of chronic active Epstein-Barr infection in a child

Chronic active Epstein–Barr virus infection (CAEBV) is a lymphoproliferative disorder characterized by persistent EBV infection, which can lead to multi-organ involvement. This case describes a child with CAEBV who initially presented with IgA nephropathy (IgAN) without characteristic infectious mon...

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Main Authors: Shuying Fan, Xin Wang, Ning Wei, Qiumei Zhou, Wenhong Wang
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Frontiers Media S.A. 2025-08-01
Series:Frontiers in Pediatrics
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Online Access:https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fped.2025.1589151/full
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author Shuying Fan
Xin Wang
Ning Wei
Qiumei Zhou
Wenhong Wang
author_facet Shuying Fan
Xin Wang
Ning Wei
Qiumei Zhou
Wenhong Wang
author_sort Shuying Fan
collection DOAJ
description Chronic active Epstein–Barr virus infection (CAEBV) is a lymphoproliferative disorder characterized by persistent EBV infection, which can lead to multi-organ involvement. This case describes a child with CAEBV who initially presented with IgA nephropathy (IgAN) without characteristic infectious mononucleosis (IM) features. The patient initially presented with intermittent gross hematuria, Renal biopsy confirmed focal proliferative IgAN, and the child was treated with methylprednisolone pulse therapy followed by oral prednisone. During follow-up, the patient sequentially developed pneumonia caused by co-infection with EBV and Staphylococcus aureus, periappendiceal abscess, pancytopenia, Intermittently elevated peripheral blood EBV-DNA load, raising suspicion of CAEBV. Further investigations revealed the following findings: echocardiography demonstrated pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH); cranial CT showed multiple bilateral basal ganglia calcifications; bone marrow biopsy detected EBV-DNA positivity (6.5 × 10³ copies/ml); renal tissue immunohistochemistry showed CD8+ cells (scattered, −50/HPF) and CD4+ cells (focal, −40/HPF), with negative LMP-1 but scattered EBER+ signals (−25/HPF). Based on persistently elevated peripheral blood EBV-DNA load, EBER-positive lymphocyte infiltration in renal tissue, evidence of multi-organ involvement, the diagnosis of CAEBV was established.
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spelling doaj-art-ee975617e70e4b5db332844d2ae146732025-08-20T03:23:16ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Pediatrics2296-23602025-08-011310.3389/fped.2025.15891511589151Case Report: From IgA nephropathy to pneumonia, periappendiceal abscess, pulmonary arterial hypertension, and basal ganglia calcification: a case of chronic active Epstein-Barr infection in a childShuying FanXin WangNing WeiQiumei ZhouWenhong WangChronic active Epstein–Barr virus infection (CAEBV) is a lymphoproliferative disorder characterized by persistent EBV infection, which can lead to multi-organ involvement. This case describes a child with CAEBV who initially presented with IgA nephropathy (IgAN) without characteristic infectious mononucleosis (IM) features. The patient initially presented with intermittent gross hematuria, Renal biopsy confirmed focal proliferative IgAN, and the child was treated with methylprednisolone pulse therapy followed by oral prednisone. During follow-up, the patient sequentially developed pneumonia caused by co-infection with EBV and Staphylococcus aureus, periappendiceal abscess, pancytopenia, Intermittently elevated peripheral blood EBV-DNA load, raising suspicion of CAEBV. Further investigations revealed the following findings: echocardiography demonstrated pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH); cranial CT showed multiple bilateral basal ganglia calcifications; bone marrow biopsy detected EBV-DNA positivity (6.5 × 10³ copies/ml); renal tissue immunohistochemistry showed CD8+ cells (scattered, −50/HPF) and CD4+ cells (focal, −40/HPF), with negative LMP-1 but scattered EBER+ signals (−25/HPF). Based on persistently elevated peripheral blood EBV-DNA load, EBER-positive lymphocyte infiltration in renal tissue, evidence of multi-organ involvement, the diagnosis of CAEBV was established.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fped.2025.1589151/fullchronic active Epstein–Barr infectionIgA nephropathypneumoniaenteritispulmonary arterial hypertensionchild
spellingShingle Shuying Fan
Xin Wang
Ning Wei
Qiumei Zhou
Wenhong Wang
Case Report: From IgA nephropathy to pneumonia, periappendiceal abscess, pulmonary arterial hypertension, and basal ganglia calcification: a case of chronic active Epstein-Barr infection in a child
Frontiers in Pediatrics
chronic active Epstein–Barr infection
IgA nephropathy
pneumonia
enteritis
pulmonary arterial hypertension
child
title Case Report: From IgA nephropathy to pneumonia, periappendiceal abscess, pulmonary arterial hypertension, and basal ganglia calcification: a case of chronic active Epstein-Barr infection in a child
title_full Case Report: From IgA nephropathy to pneumonia, periappendiceal abscess, pulmonary arterial hypertension, and basal ganglia calcification: a case of chronic active Epstein-Barr infection in a child
title_fullStr Case Report: From IgA nephropathy to pneumonia, periappendiceal abscess, pulmonary arterial hypertension, and basal ganglia calcification: a case of chronic active Epstein-Barr infection in a child
title_full_unstemmed Case Report: From IgA nephropathy to pneumonia, periappendiceal abscess, pulmonary arterial hypertension, and basal ganglia calcification: a case of chronic active Epstein-Barr infection in a child
title_short Case Report: From IgA nephropathy to pneumonia, periappendiceal abscess, pulmonary arterial hypertension, and basal ganglia calcification: a case of chronic active Epstein-Barr infection in a child
title_sort case report from iga nephropathy to pneumonia periappendiceal abscess pulmonary arterial hypertension and basal ganglia calcification a case of chronic active epstein barr infection in a child
topic chronic active Epstein–Barr infection
IgA nephropathy
pneumonia
enteritis
pulmonary arterial hypertension
child
url https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fped.2025.1589151/full
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