Infection Associated Hemophagocytic Lymphohistiocytosis: A Case Report.

ABSTRACT

The term hemophagocytosis describes the pathologic finding of activated macrophages, engulfing erythrocytes, leukocytes, platelets and their precursor cells. This phenomenon is an important finding in patients with hemophagocytic syndrome, more properly referred to as hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis (HLH). HLH is a distinct clinical entity characterized by fever, pancytopenia, splenomegaly and hemophagocytosis in bone marrow, liver or lymph nodes. It has been associated with a variety of viral, bacterial, fungal and parasitic infections, as well as collagen-vascular diseases and malignancies and is uniformly fatal if left untreated. We report Staphylococcal aureus-induced hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis in a 3-month-old girl presenting with respiratory distress, sepsis and multiorgan failure. This case report may at least in part guide pediatricians and other physicians to recognize this rare entity of infection triggering fatal HLH and thus proper treatment may be instituted in those affected with this disease at the earliest.