Acute Liver Failure Caused by Secondary Hemophagocytic Lymphohistiocytosis After COVID-19 Vaccination – Case Report and Literature Review

Abstract

Hrvoje Premec,1 Matea Živko,2 Maja Mijić,1 Biljana Jelić-Puškarić,3,4 Miloš Lalovac,1,5 Tajana Filipec Kanižaj,1,2 Nikola Sobočan1,2 1Department of Gastroenterology, University Hospital Merkur, Zagreb, Croatia; 2School of Medicine, University of Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia; 3Department of Pathology and Cytology, University Hospital Merkur, Zagreb, Croatia; 4School of Medicine, Catholic University of Croatia, Zagreb, Croatia; 5University of Dubrovnik, Dubrovnik, CroatiaCorrespondence: Nikola Sobočan, Email [email protected]: Hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis (HLH) is a congenital or acquired hyperinflammatory syndrome, in some cases accompanied by acute liver failure. We present a case report of acute liver failure associated with HLH after COVID-19 vaccination and bring a literature review of the connection between HLH and COVID-19 vaccination. HLH has significant mortality rate, and liver transplantation is not a therapeutic option. Therefore, early recognition and timely conservative treatment are corner stones in reducing HLH-related morbidity and mortality.Keywords: hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis, acute liver failure, COVID-19 vaccine, multisystem inflammatory syndrome

Keywords

• hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis
• acute liver failure
• covid-19 vaccine
• multisystem inflammatory syndrome