Acute
acalculous cholecystitis (AAC) is an
inflammation of the
gallbladder in the absence of demonstrated stones. AAC is frequently associated with severe systemic
inflammation. However, the exact
etiology and pathogenesis of AAC still remain unclear. Acute
infection with
Epstein Barr virus (
EBV) in childhood is usually aymptomatic, whereas it often presents as typical
infectious mononucleosis symptoms such as
fever, cervical
lymphadenopathy, and hepatosplenomegaly. AAC may occur during the
course of acute
EBV infection, which is rarely encountered in the pediatric
population. AAC complicating the
course of a primary
EBV infection is usually associated with a favorable outcome. Most of the
patients recover without any surgical
treatment. Therefore, the
detection of
EBV in AAC would be important for prediction of better
prognosis. We describe the case of a 10-year-old
child who presented with AAC during the
course of primary
EBV infection, the first in
Korea, and
review the relevant
literature.