<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To investigate the clinical features of
hemophagocytic syndrome (HPS) and to improve its recognition,
early diagnosis and to reduce
misdiagnosis.</p><p><b>
METHODS</b>A
retrospective study was carried out to analyze the underlying
diseases, clinical characteristics,
laboratory findings and outcomes in 41
patients with HPS.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>HPS was clinically characterized by prolonged
fever (100%),
hepatomegaly (97.6%),
splenomegaly (95.1%), and other features including
lymph adenopathy (65.9%), respiratory symptoms (53.7%),
hydrops of multiple serous cavity (26.8%),
jaundice (26.8%),
central nervous system involvement (14.6%), alimentary tract
hemorrhage (12.2%) and
skin rash (12.2%).
Laboratory data indicated that
liver dysfunction was the most prominent feature (100%) mainly manifested with elevated
liver enzymes and
hypoalbuminemia, and the others were hemophagocytosis in
bone marrow (92.7%),
pancytopenia 70.7%), coagulation
abnormalities (52.4%),
DIC,
hypertriglyceridemia and refractory
hyponatremia. The underlying
disease of
infection (IAHS) was most common (63.4%), in which
EBV-AHS was predominant, making up to 69.2%. Fourteen
patients died, 11 of them with IAHS (nine were
EBV-AHS) and the other 3 non-IAHS (one of them was
malignant lymphoma). The case-fatality rate was increased with the elevated levels of LDH and AST, the correlation coefficient was 0.486 and 0.516 (P < 0.05), respectively.
Logistic regression analysis showed that age < 3 years old, levels of LDH > 2000 U/L and AST level > 200 U/L were independent
prognostic factors (P value was 0.031, 0.002 and 0.001, respectively).</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>There are various underlying
diseases and clinical manifestations for HPS.
EBV-AHS is the extremely dangerous situation with high
mortality. Age, levels of LDH and AST are the
death-associated
risk factors. Repeat
bone marrow examinations are helpful for
diagnosis in
time.</p>