Hemophagocytic Lymphohistiocytosis Following Skin and Soft Tissue Infection in a Patient With Human Immunodeficiency Virus

• Published in: Cureus Vol. 13; no. 6; p. e15702
• Main Authors: Yazdanpanah, Omid, Monday, Lea M, Shaik, Asra N, Cantor, Zachary, Chi, Jie
• Format: Report
• Language: English
• Published: 01.06.2021
• ISSN: 2168-8184; 2168-8184
• DOI: 10.7759/cureus.15702

Hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis (HLH) is a systemic inflammatory syndrome of inappropriate immune cell activation which can be rapidly fatal if not recognized and treated. Here we discuss a case of a 26-year-old male with HIV on antiretroviral therapy who presented with sepsis secondary to soft tissue infection and ultimately progressed to multi-organ dysfunction despite broad-spectrum antibiotics and an improvement in soft tissue infection. Continued fever and pancytopenia without an explanation found during additional infectious and rheumatologic testing eventually led to bone marrow biopsy and laboratory criteria consistent with HLH. Although pancytopenia is a common finding in patients with HIV, here it marked a more rapidly progressing and fatal disease, HLH. Here we highlight the difficulty in identifying and diagnosing this rare condition, including a discussion of the characteristics, outcomes, underlying etiologies, and treatment of HLH in patients with HIV.