Introduction
Hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis (HLH) is a rare, life-threatening
condition, characterized by uncontrolled activation of lymphocytes and
macrophages, leading to excessive cytokine release and inflammatory
response1,2. HLH can be either primary (genetic) or
secondary to immunologically activating processes such as infections
(viral more than bacterial), neoplasm or autoimmune conditions.
Management is complicated and might include chemotherapy with
immunosuppressive and biological agents or may even require haemopoietic
stem cell transplant. Insufficient knowledge of this syndrome can lead
to delay in diagnosis and initiating appropriate treatment, thus
contributing to poor prognosis.
We herein report the case of a 50-year-old African American man
diagnosed with HLH secondary to Klebsiella pneumonia infection.