Comparison between clinical features and prognosis of malignancy- and non-malignancy-associated pediatric hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis.

Background: The differences between the clinical characteristics and survival time in malignancy- and non-malignancy-associated secondary hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis (HLH) are unclear. Here, we describe the clinical characteristics, prognostic factors, and survival outcomes of malignancy-associated HLH compared to that of non-malignancy-associated HLH.

Methods: We retrospectively analyzed 91 pediatric patients with HLH (age < 14 years) at the Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University Pediatric Department between January 2005 and October 2016.