[Retrospective analysis of 41 childhood hemophagocytic syndrome].
OBJECTIVE
To investigate the clinical features of hemophagocytic syndrome (HPS) and to improve its recognition, early diagnosis and to reduce misdiagnosis.


METHODS
A retrospective study was carried out to analyze the underlying diseases, clinical characteristics, laboratory findings and outcomes in 41 patients with HPS.


RESULTS
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).


CONCLUSIONS
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.
Guo
Xia
X
Department of Pediatrics, West China Second Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, China.
Li
Qiang
Q
Zhou
Chen-Yan
CY
D000293:Adolescent; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D004854:Herpesvirus 4, Human; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D051359:Lymphohistiocytosis, Hemophagocytic / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000209:etiology; D008297:Male; D011379:Prognosis; D012189:Retrospective Studies