Korean J Med.  2007 Apr;72(4):433-436.

Parvovirus B19 infection-associated hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis

• Shim H
• Kim HJ
• Lee YJ
• Park MR

Abstract

Hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis is an unusual syndrome that's characterized by fever, hepatosplenomegaly, cytopenias, hypertriglyceridemia, hypofibrinogenemia and pathologic finding of hemophagocytosis in the bone marrow and other tissues. A previously healthy 16-year-old male was admitted because of fever. The cervical and axillary lymph nodes, liver and spleen were palpable. CBC revealed pancytopenia with a decreased reticulocyte count, and the bone marrow aspiration smear showed the presence of giant pronormoblasts with intranuclear inclusion bodies and an increased number of histiocytes that were engulfing blood cell. IgM antibody against Parvovirus B19 and PCR for Parvovirus B19 were positive. Thus, he was diagnosed with hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis that was caused by Parvovirus B19 infection. Parvovirus B19 is an agent rarely associated with hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis, and in most cases it occurs in those patients with an underlying disease. We report here on a case of hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis associated with acute Parvovirus B19 infection in healthy male.

Keyword

Lymphohistiocytosis; hemophagocytic; Parvovirus B19; human

MeSH Terms

Adolescent
Blood Cells
Bone Marrow
Erythroblasts
Fever
Histiocytes
Humans
Hypertriglyceridemia
Immunoglobulin M
Intranuclear Inclusion Bodies
Liver
Lymph Nodes
Lymphohistiocytosis, Hemophagocytic*
Male
Pancytopenia
Parvovirus*
Polymerase Chain Reaction
Reticulocyte Count
Spleen
Immunoglobulin M