Macrophage Activation Syndrome in Children: Update on Diagnosis and Treatment

Macrophage activation syndrome (MAS) is potentially fatal; so, early diagnosis and timely treatment are essential. However, detecting MAS is sometimes challenging because its principal features can be observed in other pediatric diseases that cause severe inflammation. Cytokine storm due to immune dysregulation represents the clinical and laboratory features of MAS that are included in the diagnostic criteria. Most cases of MAS occur as an underlying condition worsens and progresses. Therefore, a patient with autoimmune or autoinflammatory disease who shows unexplained clinical deterioration despite appropriate management should be considered at high risk for MAS (i.e., occult MAS). The basic principles of treatment are control of triggering factors, supportive care, and relief of hyperinflammation. Systemic steroids and cyclosporine A are frequently used as a first-line treatment. For the treatment of refractory MAS, cytokine-specific biologic agents such as anakinra have recently become preferred over traditional immunosuppressive agents such as etoposide. MAS might be underrecognized in pediatric patients with infectious and inflammatory diseases due to its diverse clinical presentations. Clinical suspicion of MAS is of the utmost importance for early recognition of the disease.