Introduction
Hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis (HLH) is a rare, life-threatening condition, characterized by uncontrolled activation of lymphocytes and macrophages, leading to excessive cytokine release and inflammatory response1,2. HLH can be either primary (genetic) or secondary to immunologically activating processes such as infections (viral more than bacterial), neoplasm or autoimmune conditions. Management is complicated and might include chemotherapy with immunosuppressive and biological agents or may even require haemopoietic stem cell transplant. Insufficient knowledge of this syndrome can lead to delay in diagnosis and initiating appropriate treatment, thus contributing to poor prognosis.
We herein report the case of a 50-year-old African American man diagnosed with HLH secondary to Klebsiella pneumonia infection.