Difficult Diagnosis: A Case of Hemophagocytic Lymphohistocytosis in an Infant

Abstract

Hemophagocytic lymphohistocytosis is an extremely rare disease requiring early diagnosis and specific treatment.The objective: to demonstrate the clinical case of hemophagocytic lymphohistocytosis in an infant. The course of the disease in a 6-month-old child requiring treatment in the intensive care unit was retrospectively analyzed. The article presents the procedure of differential diagnosis of sepsis and hemophagocytic lymphohistocytosis in children, special attention is paid to the diagnostic criteria, and the clinical and laboratory differences of these diseases are described.Conclusion. The presence of leukopenia, neutropenia, thrombocytopenia, hypoalbuminemia and hypocoagulation in an infant with persistent fever is the basis for a thorough differential diagnosis in order to eliminate severe systemic diseases that manifest as childhood infections and sepsis.

Keywords

• hemophagocytic lymphohistocytosis
• pediatric
• sepsis
• thrombocytopenia
• intensive care