Abstract

Two Chinese infants had cytomegalovirus inclusion disease presenting as persistent pneumonia and thrombocytopenic purpura, respectively. Both had lymphadenopathy, hepatosplenomegaly, pneumonia, and more than 14% atypical lymphocytes in the peripheral blood at some stage of the disease. The Paul-Bunnell reactions were serially negative. A clinical picture simulating infectious mononucleosis, including the presence of a high percentage of atypical lymphocytes in the peripheral blood, but serially negative Paul-Bunnell reactions, may be one of the many manifestations of cytomegalovirus inclusion disease in infancy and childhood.