Disseminated intravascular coagulation in two patients with histiocytic medullary reticulosis.

Two young adults with characteristic features of histiocytic medullary reticulosis (HMR) are described. Of particular interest was the development of striking clinical and laboratory features of disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC), in the absence of sepsis in both cases. Both patients had a marked and fatal bleeding tendency. The association between neoplasia and DIC is well established, but, to the best of our knowledge, DIC presenting a major feature of HMR has not yet been described. The possible pathogenesis of DIC in HMR is discussed.