Bacteria-associated hemophagocytic syndrome.

Histiocytic medullary reticulosis (HMR) was originally defined as a neoplastic disorder. Some cases reported as HMR have been characterized by a systemic proliferation of mature histiocytes showing hemophagocytosis, bone marrow necrosis, pancytopenia, hepatitis, and coagulopathy. Clinically, these patients have fever and constitutional symptoms and often have hepatosplenomegaly and lymphadenopathy. Although there is a high mortality rate, this process appears to be reactive and has been associated with active viral infection. Similar cases have been briefly described that were associated with other agents or disease processes, but concomitant viral infections were not excluded. Three characteristic examples of this hemophagocytic syndrome that were associated with bacterial sepsis are described. Active infection by those viruses that have previously been associated with the syndrome was excluded. It appears that the hemophagocytic syndrome may be associated with various types of active disseminated infections.