Which combination of symptoms is most indicative of glandular fever in a teenager?

• A. Extreme fatigue, swollen glands, high temperature, and sore throat.
• B. Abdominal pain and diarrhoea.
• C. Shortness of breath and chest pain.
• D. Headache only.

Answer: (A)

Glandular fever in teens typically presents with a combination of systemic symptoms and lymphadenopathy, reflecting the body's response to EBV infection. The most telling cluster is marked fatigue, fever, throat soreness with possible tonsillar swelling, and swollen glands in the neck or other areas. This set of signs points to infectious mononucleosis rather than a localized or unrelated issue.

Choosing the option that includes extreme fatigue, swollen glands, high temperature, and sore throat aligns with that classic picture, making it the best indicator for glandular fever in a teenager. In contrast, abdominal pain with diarrhoea fits more with gastroenteritis, shortness of breath with chest pain suggests a respiratory or cardiac problem, and a headache alone is too nonspecific to indicate glandular fever.