Secondary hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis triggered by bacteremia: A case report and systemic review.

Adult haemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis (HLH) is an infrequent and life-threatening condition. The most common triggers of HLH are malignancy and virus, and bacterial infections are rarely implicated. We present a case of HLH secondary to infection and systemically searched the PubMed database for publications on HLH associated with infection and reviewed nine cases from seven studies. A marked third of patients had infective endocarditis, while the mortality rate was 44 %. HLH developed in our case despite elimination of MRSA from the bloodstream, leading to eventual demise of our patient, suggesting that prolonged hyperimmune response may persist even after the elimination of initial triggering factor. Our case highlights the necessity of high clinical suspicion and prompt diagnosis of HLH.