The Conundrum of Septic Shock Imitators in Patients with Hematologic Cancers: Case Presentation and Possible Differential Diagnoses

Table 2

Diagnostic criteria of HLH.

(i) Molecular diagnosis consistent with HLH	Case
(ii) Or 5 of the following criteria
(1) Fever	+
(2) Splenomegaly	+
(3) Cytopenia affecting ≥ 2 lineages	+
(a) Hemoglobin <9 g/dl	−
(b) Platelets <90.000/ml	+
(c) Neutrophils <1000/ml	+
(4) Hypertrigliceridemia and/or hypofibrinogemia	−
(a) Triglycerides >265 mg/dl	−
(b) Fibrinogen <150 mg/dl	−
(5) Hemophagocytosis in bone marrow, spleen or nodes ()	+
(6) Low/absent NK cell activity	n.a.
(7) Ferritin ≥500 mcg/ml	+
(8) sCD25 (sIL2R) ≥2400 U/ml	n.a.

n.a: not available.