Cerebrospinal Fluid Involvement in a Case of Visceral Leishmaniasis Associated with Hemophagocytic Lymphohistiocytosis

Authors

Mahmoud Fathalla, Department of Child Health, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, Sultan Qaboos University, P. O. Box 35, Al-Khod 123, Muscat, Sultanate of Oman
Javad Hashim, Department of Child Health, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, Sultan Qaboos University, P. O. Box 35, Al-Khod 123, Muscat, Sultanate of Oman
Hussein Alkindy, Department of Child Health, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, Sultan Qaboos University, P. O. Box 35, Al-Khod 123, Muscat, Sultanate of Oman
Yasser Wali, Department of Child Health, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, Sultan Qaboos University, P. O. Box 35, Al-Khod 123, Muscat, Sultanate of Oman

Abstract

Hemophagocytic Lymphohistiocytosis (HLH) implies a benign generalized histiocytic proliferate with erythrophagocytosis and it includes familial hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis and secondary hemophgocytosis. Spinal fluid changes like mild to moderate pleocytosis (most of the cells are lymphocytes and macrophages) and sometimes hemophagocytosis are seen in primary HLH but are not reported in secondary HLH. Here we report a case of a previously healthy 10 months old male infant who was diagnosed as familial HLH with evidence of CSF hemophagocytosis. He was started on the HLH 2004 treatment protocol with no improvement. A second bone marrow aspiration revealed leshmania donovani antibodies and he was started on anti-leishmania treatment with dramatic response.To the best of our knowledge, this is the first case of secondary HLH with evidence of hemophagocytosis in cerebrospinal fluid.

Publication Date

12-31-2007

First Page

253

Last Page

256

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

Recommended Citation

Fathalla, Mahmoud; Hashim, Javad; Alkindy, Hussein; and Wali, Yasser (2007) "Cerebrospinal Fluid Involvement in a Case of Visceral Leishmaniasis Associated with Hemophagocytic Lymphohistiocytosis," Sultan Qaboos University Medical Journal: Vol. 7: 253-256.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.18295/2075-0528.2676