26 January 2022
: Case report
Using a Minimal Parameter Set for Early Diagnosis of Hemophagocytic Lymphohistiocytosis in Non-European Children
Challenging differential diagnosis
Yu Nakashima1BDEF, Hiroshi Koga1AEF*DOI: 10.12659/AJCR.934037
Am J Case Rep 2022; 23:e934037
Table 1. Diagnostic assessment of HLH-2004 criteria and the minimal parameter set in the cases of 2 infants with HLH.
| Case 1 (Japanese neonate) | Case 2 (African infant) | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Our center | Tertiary center | Our center | Tertiary center | |
| Age on admission (days) | 4 | 4 | 39 | 41 |
| HLH-2004 diagnostic criteria | Not fulfilled | Fulfilled | Fulfilled | Fulfilled |
| Fever | Present | Present | Present | Present |
| Splenomegaly | Present | Present | Present | Present |
| Cytopenias in ≥2 lineages in peripheral blood | Present | Present | Present | Present |
| Hyperferritinemia ≥500 μg/L | Present | Present | Present | Present |
| Soluble CD25 ≥2400 U/mL | Not evaluated | Absent | Present | Present |
| Hypertriglyceridemia ≥265 mg/dL and/or hypofibrinogenemia ≤1.5 g/L | Absent | Present | Present | Present |
| Hemophagocytosis in tissue biopsy | Not evaluated | Absent | Not evaluated | Present |
| Low or absent NK-cell activity | Not evaluated | Present | Not evaluated | Present |
| Minimal parameter set | Fulfilled | Fulfilled | Fulfilled | Fulfilled |
| Major criteria | ||||
| Splenomegaly | Present | Present | Present | Present |
| Hemophagocytosis in tissue biopsy | Not evaluated | Absent | Not evaluated | Present |
| Minor criteria | ||||
| Cytopenias in ≥2 lineages in peripheral blood | Present | Present | Present | Present |
| Hyperferritinemia ≥1000 μg/L | Present | Present | Absent | Present |
| Hypertriglyceridemia ≥265 mg/dL and/or hypofibrinogenemia ≤1.5 g/L | Absent | Present | Present | Present |
| HLH – hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis; * A diagnosis of HLH can be established if ≥5 of 8 criteria are fulfilled.; ** A diagnosis of HLH can be established if 2 major criteria, 1 major and ≥1 minor criteria, or 3 minor criteria are fulfilled. | ||||






