Congenital hemophagocytic reticulosis.

A fatal case of an apparently congenital form of hemophagocytic reticulosis is reported. The onset was manifested by hyperbilirubinemia and hepatosplenomegaly which were present at birth and persisted throughout life. Fever, anemia and pancytopenia developed at 1 month of age and became progressively worse. A splenectomy was performed at the age of 3 months, but the child died one day later with disseminated intravascular coagulation and pulmonary hemorrhage. The literature is reviewed with regard to the relationship of this case to (familial) hemophagocytic reticulosis and malignant histiocytosis (histiocytic medullary reticulosis). It is suggested that congenital hemophagocytic reticulosis, as described here, (familial) hemophagocytic reticulosis in infants, and malignant histiocytosis in adults all represent the same basic disorder with different ages of onset and clinicopathologic manifestations.