Short report: Hemophagocytic syndrome as uncommon presentation of disseminated toxoplasmosis in an immunocompetent adult from Chinese Kunming

Abstract

Hemophagocytic syndrome is a rare disease that is often fatal, despite treatment. An immunocompetent patient was presented with fever, hepatosplenomegaly, cytopenias, hypertriglyceridemia, hypofibrinogenemia, and hyperferritinemia, which conformed to a hemophagocytic syndrome diagnosis. Despite broad antibiotic treatment, the patient's clinical condition rapidly deteriorated and he died within 8 days of admission. Blood cultures and a serology test were negative; however, based on morphological characteristics, tissue cysts Toxoplasma gondii were found in the bone marrow. Based on polymerase chain reaction analysis, identity of the parasite was confirmed. Although very rare, T. gondii-associated hemophagocytic syndrome should be suspected in the case of cytopenia or multiorgan failure symptoms. To our knowledge, this is the first fatal toxoplasmosis case reported from China. Copyright © 2013 by The American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene.