HLH disease

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There exists a medical condition called Hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis or in shorter terms, HLH. Hemo means blood, phagocytic is to engulf and remove foreign material, lymph is the name of the fluid in lymphatic system, histiocytosis is the increase in the number of histiocytes.
There are various types of cells in the human body that fight off infection. A histiocyte is a cell found in the blood all over the body and is created by bone marrow. These cells fight infection and damage any foreign material. In a case of a person with HLH, they over produce these white blood cells. The extra cells made then increase in tissues and cause the liver, spleen, lymph nodes, or spinal cord organs to be damaged (What is HLH).
Symptoms include high fever, abnormal blood tests, enlarged spleen, skin rash, and enlarged lymph nodes. The Central Nervous System disease could occur in 50 percent of HLH patients. These symptoms often include seizures, irritability, fatigue, sudden blindness, coma/paralysis, weakening of face/eye nerves, weight loss, jaundice, and coordination difficulty. Also, bleeding is at high risk due to a lack of platelets or known as thrombocytopenia. If this is the case, the patient will be given a platelet transfusion to increase the clotting cells in the blood (References.) According to a population based study, HLH is estimated to happen in one in 50,000 births (Our mission). This disease is found the most in young children and infants (Office of Rare Diseases Research). It occurs under age one in 70 percent of all HLH cases (Our mission). This condition is rare and probable to lead to fatality.
In 1952, HLH was first identified as a familial immune dysregulatory disorder of childhood known as “familial hemophago...

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...n order to obtain money for HLH, corporations, foundations, or individuals are donating (Our Mission.)

Works Cited

"Blood." Blood. N.p., n.d. Web. 19 Feb. 2014.

"Experts at Treating HLH." Experts at Treating HLH. N.p., n.d. Web. 19 Feb. 2014.

"Liam's Lighthouse Foundation - Liam's Lighthouse Foundation - Home." Liam's Lighthouse Foundation. N.p., n.d. Web. 03 Feb. 2014.

"Office of Rare Diseases Research (ORDR-NCATS) | Supports Rare Disease Research and Information." Office of Rare Diseases Research (ORDR-NCATS) | Supports Rare Disease Research and Information. N.p., n.d. Web. 03 Feb. 2014.

"Our Mission." Raising Awareness about Histiocytic Disorders. N.p., n.d. Web. 03 Feb. 2014.

"REFERENCES." Treatment and Prognosis of Hemophagocytic Lymphohistiocytosis. N.p., n.d. Web. 19 Feb. 2014.

"What Is HLH?" Http://www.wch.sa.gov.au. N.p., n.d. Web. 19 Feb. 2014.

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