[Epstein-Barr virus infection--clinical aspects and diagnosis].

Epstein-Barr virus infection (EBV) was discovered 25 years ago in tumour cells from Burkitt's lymphoma. EBV causes infectious mononucleosis and contributes to the pathogenesis of Burkitt's lymphoma and nasopharyngeal cancer. Atypical courses of the primary infection are attracting increasing attention and may present problems of diagnosis at the same time as no clear diagnostic or laboratory-based definition of the reactivation of this herpes virus is available. The article reports on the clinical course, the diagnosis, and the possibilities of treatment.