Identification of clinical features of lymphoma-associated hemophagocytic syndrome (LAHS): an analysis of 69 patients with hemophagocytic syndrome from a single-center in central region of China

To identify the clinical features of lymphoma-associated hemophagocytic syndrome (LAHS), we retrospectively analyzed the clinical characteristics, laboratory findings and survival data of 16 LAHS patients from 69 adult hemophagocytic syndrome (HPS) patients. The results showed that the most common clinical manifestations and laboratory parameters were fever (100 %), ferritin ≥ 500 g/L (100 %), peripheral cytopenia in two or more lineages (100 %), fibrinogen (Fbg) < 1.5 g/L (93.8 %) and splenomegaly (81.3 %) in LAHS patients. The percentages of patients with Fbg < 1.5 g/L, PLT < 40 × 10⁹/L and LDH ≥ 1,000 U/L in the LAHS group were significantly higher than those in non-LAHS patients (P = 0.010, 0.000, and 0.001, respectively). Survival analysis showed that HLH patients with rheumatological reasons had better prognosis (OS; median not reached), followed by patients in the infection group (350 days) and those with unexplained causes (140 days). LAHS had the worst prognosis (only 37 days). The symptoms of LAHS patients are usually confused with other HPS. Patients with LAHS had higher probabilities to have Fbg < 1.5 g/L, PLT < 40 × 10⁹/L, LDH ≥ 1,000 U/L and poor prognosis, so early diagnosis and systemic treatments are required.