[Fatal hemophagocytic syndrome that reveals retroviral infection]

Hemophagocytic syndrome is a rare disease with a severe prognosis. Infections are a classic cause of hemophagocytic syndrome. Hemophagocytic syndromes secondary to HIV are rare, and those that reveal HIV infection are even rarer. Observation: we report the case of a 60-year-old man admitted to the emergency room of the Avicenna military hospital for consciousness disorder in a feverish context. We found laboratory abnormalities including pancytopenia, hyperferritinemia and hepatic cytolysis. Hemophagocytosis was present confirming the diagnosis of hemophagocytic syndrome. Viral serologies are requested including that of HIV which came back positive. Conclusion: HIV and hemophagocytic syndrome give non-specific signs common to both pathologies, hence the underdiagnosis of their association.