Question: What are the symptoms of Hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis ?
Answer: What are the signs and symptoms of Hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis? The signs and symptoms of hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis typically develop during the first months or years of life. However, in rare cases, affected people may not show symptoms until later in childhood or even into adulthood. The features of this condition may include: Fever Enlarged liver and/or spleen Skin rash Lymph node enlargement Breathing problems Easy bruising and/or abnormal bleeding Kidney abnormalities Heart problems Increased risk for certain cancers (leukemia, lymphoma) Many people with this condition also develop neurologic abnormalities. The neurological symptoms vary but may include irritability, fatigue, abnormal muscle tone, seizures, neck stiffness, mental status changes, ataxia, blindness, paralysis, and/or coma. The Human Phenotype Ontology provides the following list of signs and symptoms for Hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis. If the information is available, the table below includes how often the symptom is seen in people with this condition. You can use the MedlinePlus Medical Dictionary to look up the definitions for these medical terms. Signs and Symptoms Approximate number of patients (when available) Reduced natural killer cell activity 13/13 Granulocytopenia 11/14 Neutropenia 5/7 Abnormal natural killer cell physiology - Anemia - Ataxia - Autosomal recessive inheritance - Coma - CSF pleocytosis - Encephalitis - Episodic fever - Failure to thrive - Fever - Generalized edema - Hemiplegia - Hemophagocytosis - Hepatomegaly - Hepatosplenomegaly - Hyperbetalipoproteinemia - Hypertonia - Hypertriglyceridemia - Hypoalbuminemia - Hypoalphalipoproteinemia - Hypofibrinogenemia - Hyponatremia - Hypoproteinemia - Increased circulating very-low-density lipoprotein cholesterol - Increased CSF protein - Increased intracranial pressure - Increased serum ferritin - Increased total bilirubin - Irritability - Jaundice - Leukopenia - Lymphadenopathy - Meningitis - Muscular hypotonia - Prolonged partial thromboplastin time - Prolonged prothrombin time - Seizures - Splenomegaly - Tetraplegia - Thrombocytopenia - The Human Phenotype Ontology (HPO) has collected information on how often a sign or symptom occurs in a condition. Much of this information comes from Orphanet, a European rare disease database. The frequency of a sign or symptom is usually listed as a rough estimate of the percentage of patients who have that feature. The frequency may also be listed as a fraction. The first number of the fraction is how many people had the symptom, and the second number is the total number of people who were examined in one study. For example, a frequency of 25/25 means that in a study of 25 people all patients were found to have that symptom. Because these frequencies are based on a specific study, the fractions may be different if another group of patients are examined. Sometimes, no information on frequency is available. In these cases, the sign or symptom may be rare or common.
Source: GARD

Question: Is Hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis inherited ?
Answer: Is hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis inherited? Hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis (HLH) may be inherited or acquired (due to non-genetic factors). Familial HLH is inherited in an autosomal recessive manner. This means that to be affected, a person must have a change (mutation) in both copies of the responsible gene in each cell. The parents of an affected person usually each carry one mutated copy of the gene and are referred to as carriers. Carriers typically do not show signs or symptoms of the condition. When two carriers of an autosomal recessive condition have children, each child has a 25% (1 in 4) risk to have the condition, a 50% (1 in 2) risk to be a carrier like each of the parents, and a 25% chance to not have the condition and not be a carrier. Acquired HLH is not inherited. The non-genetic causes of HLH include: infection, medications that suppress the immune system, autoimmune diseases, immunodeficiencies, certain types of cancer and/or metabolic diseases.
Source: GARD

Question: How to diagnose Hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis ?
Answer: Is genetic testing available for hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis? Yes. Clinical genetic testing is available for the four genes known to cause familial hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis, types 2-5. Carrier testing for at-risk relatives and prenatal testing are possible if the two disease-causing mutations in the family are known. Molecular genetic testing is not available for familial hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis, type 1 because the genetic cause is currently unknown. Genetic testing is not available for acquired HLH because it is caused by non-genetic factors. The Genetic Testing Registry (GTR) is a centralized online resource for information about genetic tests. The intended audience for the GTR is health care providers and researchers. Patients and consumers with specific questions about a genetic test should contact a health care provider or a genetics professional. How is hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis diagnosed? A diagnosis of hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis (HLH) is based on the presence of certain signs and symotoms. A person is considered affected by this condition if they have at least five of the following symptoms: Fever Enlarged spleen Cytopenia (lower-than-normal number of blood cells) Elevated levels of triglycerides or fibrinogen in the blood Hemophagocytosis (the destruction of certain types of blood cells by histiocytes) on bone marrow, spleen or lymph node biopsy Decreased or absent NK cell activity High levels of ferritin in the blood Elevated blood levels of CD25 (a measure of prolonged immune cell activation) The diagnosis of familial HLH, types 2-5 can be confirmed with genetic testing.
Source: GARD

Question: What are the treatments for Hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis ?
Answer: How might hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis be treated? The best treatment options for hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis (HLH) are determined by a number of factors, including the severity of symptoms, the age of onset, and the underlying cause of the condition. In acquired HLH, it is often necessary to treat the underlying condition. For example, antiobiotics or antiviral medications can be used to treat or prevent infections that may have triggered the exaggerated immune response. Allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation is considered a cure for familial HLH. It is often recommended that people with confirmed or suspected familial HLH undergo this treatment as early in life as possible. Prior to hematopoietic cell transplanation, affected people are usually treated with chemotherapy and/or immunotherapy to destroy excess immune cells which can lead to life-threatening inflammation.
Source: GARD