A rare case of Salmonella meningitis and hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis

Abstract

Enteric fever is a common infectious disease of the tropical world. Common age group involved is children aged between 5 and 10 years. In addition to diarrhea, it may lead to extraintestinal infections including aseptic meningitis, hepatitis, cholecystitis, acute abdomen, intestinal perforation, pneumonia, psychosis, and ataxia. Hematologic complications leading to hemophagocytosis have a prevalence of < 1%. Salmonella meningitis has an incidence of 6% with poor prognosis neurological sequelae. We report a rare case of enteric fever that presented with hemophagocytic syndrome and S. meningitis. Response to third-generation cephalosporins is dramatic, eventually giving good prognosis.

Keywords

• hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis
• secondary hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis
• salmonella meningitis
• enteric fever