Abstract
Background
Hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis (HLH) is a rare, potentially fatal disorder characterized by fever, pancytopenia, hepatosplenomegaly, and increased serum ferritin. HLH is being increasingly reported as a complication of dengue, a common tropical acute febrile illness.
Methodology/Principal Findings
After a cluster of pediatric dengue-associated HLH patients was identified during the 2012–2013 dengue epidemic in Puerto Rico, active surveillance and a case-control investigation was conducted at four referral hospitals to determine the incidence of HLH in children and identify risk factors for HLH following dengue. Patients with dengue-associated HLH (cases) were matched by month of illness onset and admission hospital to dengue patients that did not develop HLH (controls). During 2008–2013, a total of 33 HLH patients were identified, of which 22 (67%) were associated with dengue and 1 died (dengue-associated HLH case-fatality rate: 4.5%). Two patients with dengue-associated HLH had illness onset in 2009, none had illness onset during the 2010 dengue epidemic, and 20 had illness onset during the 2012–2013 epidemic. Frequency of infection with either dengue virus (DENV)-1 or DENV-4 did not differ between cases and controls. Cases were younger than controls (median age: 1 vs. 13 years, p < 0.01), were hospitalized longer (18 vs. 5 days, p < 0.01), and were admitted more frequently to pediatric intensive care units (100% vs. 16%, p < 0.01). Cases had co-infection (18.2% vs. 4.5%, p = 0.04), recent influenza-like illness (54.5% vs. 25.0%, p = 0.01), and longer duration of fever (7 vs. 5 days; p < 0.01). Cases were more likely to have lymphadenopathy, hepatomegaly, splenomegaly, anemia, and elevated liver transaminases (p ≤ 0.02).
Conclusions/Significance
During this cluster of dengue-associated HLH cases that was temporally associated with the 2012–2013 epidemic, most patients with dengue-associated HLH were infants and had higher morbidity than dengue inpatients. Physicians throughout the tropics should be aware of HLH as a potential complication of dengue, particularly in patients with anemia and severe liver injury.
Hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis (HLH) is a rare, potentially fatal medical condition that can occur after a patient has an infection. While HLH is most commonly associated with Epstein-Barr virus infections, it has been reported as a complication of dengue, a common mosquito-borne, acute febrile illness. After a cluster of pediatric dengue-associated HLH patients was identified in Puerto Rico, active surveillance and a case-control investigation was conducted to determine the rate of HLH in children and identify risk factors for HLH following dengue. During 2008–2013, a total of 33 HLH patients were identified, of which 22 (67%) were associated with dengue and 1 died (dengue-associated HLH case-fatality rate: 4.5%). Most (91%) dengue-associated HLH patients had illness onset during the 2012–2013 epidemic, however, HLH was not found to be associated with a particular type of dengue virus. Dengue-associated HLH cases were younger than dengue inpatient controls, were hospitalized longer, and were admitted more frequently to the pediatric intensive care unit. Cases had longer duration of fever, and were more likely to have anemia, hepatomegaly and elevated liver transaminases than controls. Physicians in the tropics should be aware that HLH may complicate dengue, and they should evaluate dengue patients who develop anemia and severe liver injury.
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