Rehabilitation

The acute form of the Pfeiffer glandular fever subsides in the course of a few weeks and is usually cured after two months. Deaths occur extremely rarely.

Prophylaxis

A vaccine is not available. Contact with saliva and with people who are too acutely ill should be avoided, but this is not always easy, as most people in the population have experienced EBV infection and the course of the disease is often accompanied by very unspecific symptoms.

Prognosis

The prognosis for Pfeiffer’s glandular fever is very good if none of the very rare complications occur. It usually lasts two to four weeks and heals without consequences. Since antibodies against the virus are formed in the body, there is usually lifelong immunity after the first infection.

These can be late effects

Late effects, which occur due to the whistling glandular fever, are usually caused by complications. These often affect the organs liver and spleen, as they are most likely to be attacked by the Epstein-Barr virus. A swelling of the spleen can lead to an acute rupture of the organ, which can result in the removal of the spleen.This has an effect on the immune system, which is why affected persons must be increasingly vaccinated against various diseases.

Swelling of the liver can cause temporary, and in severe cases, permanent liver dysfunction. Anemia can also be caused by Pfeiffer’s glandular fever. However, it is usually temporary, as is a reduction in platelets or other blood cells.

The blood regenerates after a few months. An inflammation of the brain can also occur in the context of Pfeiffer’s glandular fever. In this so-called encephalitis, brain damage can remain.

If the heart is affected by the infection, this often leads to inflammation of the heart muscle. In extreme cases, this can be fatal. If physical exertion is not avoided during the disease, the heart can be permanently damaged, resulting in lifelong cardiac insufficiency.

Rare late effects of Pfeiffer’s glandular fever are cancers that develop on the lymph nodes or in the throat. Pfeiffer’s glandular fever is associated with various types of cancer. On the one hand, it affects the mouth and throat area.

This is inflamed for a long time during the infection, which leads to an increased death of the mucous membrane cells. These must therefore regenerate more quickly. The more cells are newly formed, the greater the risk that cell regeneration will be defective and degenerate into cancer after years. The lymphatic system can also develop tumors associated with Pfeiffer’s glandular fever. This type of cancer is called lymphoma.