Hemophagocytosis and Granulomas in the Bone Marrow of a Child With Down Syndrome

Persistent fever with pancytopenia and hepatomegaly with negative blood cultures and no obvious focus of infection in a child with Down syndrome should arouse a suspicion of leukemia. Bone marrow examination and clot biopsy from one such patient revealed hemophagocytosis and granulomas, with serologic evidence of recent Epstein-Barr virus infection. Bone marrow granulomas are not a feature of Epstein-Barr infection. Later, bone marrow culture and repeat blood culture grew Salmonella typhi. Thus, in a febrile child, when performing a bone marrow aspirate, a clot biopsy and culture for infectious etiology may be helpful, even when leukemia is strongly suspected.