Eight pediatric patients with acute cervical lymphadenitis or neck mass, alone or in association with nonspecific upper respiratory complaints, were screened for the presence of a primary or reactivation Epstein-Barr virus infection. All were found to have elevated antibodies to the early antigen (EA) and 75% (6) of these were found to be reactivations. Only one had a positive heterophile. Half of the patients had elevation of the EA-specific IgA, and 75% (6) had elevation of viral capsid antigen-specific IgA. All had elevated levels of soluble immune complexes. There was not a direct relationship between the EA titer or soluble immune complex level and severity of disease.
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