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Case Reports
. 2022 Mar 21;14(3):e23368.
doi: 10.7759/cureus.23368. eCollection 2022 Mar.

Hemophagocytic Lymphohistiocytosis: A Rare Cause of Pyrexia of Unknown Origin

Salman Khan  1 , Fahad Naim  1 , Hameed Ullah  1 , Falak Niaz  1 , Muhammad Bilal  1
Affiliations
Case Reports

Hemophagocytic Lymphohistiocytosis: A Rare Cause of Pyrexia of Unknown Origin

Salman Khan et al. Cureus. .

Abstract

Hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis (HLH) is a life-threatening syndrome due to excessive immune activation leading to hyperinflammation. It may be familial due to mutations in immune regulatory genes, especially genetic defects of lymphocyte toxicity. The sporadic cases are triggered by infections (mostly viral), malignancies, and autoimmune diseases. Herewith we report the case of a 20-year-old male with febrile illness who was ultimately diagnosed with HLH.

Keywords: cytopenias; fever; hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis (hlh); immune activation; inflammation.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors have declared that no competing interests exist.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1. Bone marrow aspirate of the patient showing hemophagocytosis
Figure 2
Figure 2. CT scan image of the patient's abdomen showing enlarged spleen
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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