The onset of HLH occurs under the age of 1 year in ~70% of cases. Familial HLH should be suspected if siblings are diagnosed with HLH or if symptoms recur when therapy has been stopped. Each full sibling of a child with familial HLH has a 25% chance of developing the disease, a 50% chance of carrying the defective gene (which is very rarely associated with any risk of disease) and a 25% chance of not being affected and not carrying the gene defect.

Patients with HLH, especially when untreated, may need intensive therapy. Therefore, HLH should be included in the differential diagnosis of ICU (Intensive Care Unit) patients with cytopenia and hyperferritinemia.

HLH clinically manifests with fever, enlargement of the liver and spleen, enlarged lymph nodes, yellow discoloration of the skin and eyes, and a rash.

Hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis (HLH), also known as haemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis (British spelling), and hemophagocytic or haemophagocytic syndrome, is an uncommon hematologic disorder seen more often in children than in adults. It is a life-threatening disease of severe hyperinflammation caused by uncontrolled proliferation of activated lymphocytes and macrophages, characterised by proliferation of morphologically benign lymphocytes and macrophages that secrete high amounts of inflammatory cytokines. It is classified as one of the cytokine storm syndromes.

All types of Griscelli syndrome have distinctive skin and hair coloring.

Type 1 is associated with eurological abnormalities. These include delayed development, intellectual disability, seizures, hypotonia and eye abnormalities.

Type 2 - unlike type 1 - is not associated primary neurological disease but is associated with an uncontrolled T lymphocyte expansion and macrophage activation syndrome. It is often associated with the hemophagocytic syndrome. This latter condition may be fatal in the absence of bone marrow transplantation.

Persons with type 3 have the typical light skin and hair coloring but are otherwise normal.

X-linked lymphoproliferative disease (also known as "Duncan's disease" or "Purtilo syndrome") is a lymphoproliferative disorder.

Griscelli syndrome type 2 (also known as "partial albinism with immunodeficiency") is a rare autosomal recessive syndrome characterized by variable pigmentary dilution, hair with silvery metallic sheen, frequent pyogenic infections, neutropenia, and thrombocytopenia.

The precise symptoms of a primary immunodeficiency depend on the type of defect. Generally, the symptoms and signs that lead to the diagnosis of an immunodeficiency include recurrent or persistent infections or developmental delay as a result of infection. Particular organ problems (e.g. diseases involving the skin, heart, facial development and skeletal system) may be present in certain conditions. Others predispose to autoimmune disease, where the immune system attacks the body's own tissues, or tumours (sometimes specific forms of cancer, such as lymphoma). The nature of the infections, as well as the additional features, may provide clues as to the exact nature of the immune defect.

Affected males develop generalized reticular hyper pigmentation in early childhood.

Hair often looks bedraggled or brushed backwards, hanging low on the forehead.

Among the associated extracutaneous manifestations are described:

- Respiratory infections

- Dyskeratosis corneal photophobia

- Hypohidrosis with large deficit of thermoregulation

- Growth retardation

- Gastrointestinal disorders

- Kidney disease

- Kidney stones

- Urinary infections

- Webbed feet or hands

- Electrolyte imbalance

- Retinitis pigmentosa

- Lymphoedema

- Thyroid abnormalities

Each patient shows some of the symptoms listed above. Not every sick person will show all of the listed symptoms.

In females the disease is characterized by skin rashes linear hyper pigmentation following the Blaschko's lines, morphologically similar to stage 3 pigment incontinence. There are no systemic manifestations associated with XLPDR in females.

The syndromes within CAPS overlap clinically, and patients may have features of more than one disorder. In a retrospective cohort of 136 CAPS patients from 16 countries, the most prevalent clinical features were fever (84% of cases, often with concurrent constitutional symptoms such as fatigue, malaise, mood disorders or failure to thrive), skin rash (either urticarial or maculopapular rash; 97% of cases) especially after cold exposure, and musculoskeletal involvement (myalgia, arthralgia, and/or arthritis, or less commonly joint contracture, patellar overgrowth, bone deformity, bone erosion and/or osteolytic lesion; 86% of cases). Less common features included ophthalmological involvement (conjunctivitis and/or uveitis, or less commonly optic nerve atrophy, cataract, glaucoma or impaired vision; 71% of cases), neurosensory hearing loss (42% of cases), neurological involvement (morning headache, papilloedema, and/or meningitis, or less commonly seizure, hydrocephalus or mental retardation; 40% of cases), and AA amyloidosis (4% of cases). Age of onset is typically in infancy or early childhood. In 57% of cases, CAPS had a chronic phenotype with symptoms present almost daily, whereas the remaining 43% of patients experienced only acute episodes. Up to 56% of patients reported a family history of CAPS. Previous studies confirm these symptoms, although the exact reported rates vary.

Strangely, in boys with X-linked lymphoproliferative disorder, there is an inability to mount an immune response to the Epstein-Barr virus (EBV), which often leads to death from bone marrow failure, irreversible hepatitis, and malignant lymphoma. However, the connection between EBV and X-linked lymphoproliferative disorder is yet to be determined.

Patients produce insufficient numbers of CD27 memory B cells.

A number of syndromes escape formal classification but are otherwise recognisable by particular clinical or immunological features.

1. Wiskott–Aldrich syndrome

2. DNA repair defects not causing isolated SCID: ataxia-telangiectasia, ataxia-like syndrome, Nijmegen breakage syndrome, Bloom syndrome

3. DiGeorge syndrome (when associated with thymic defects)

4. Various immuno-osseous dysplasias (abnormal development of the skeleton with immune problems): cartilage–hair hypoplasia, Schimke syndrome

5. Hermansky–Pudlak syndrome type 2

6. Hyper-IgE syndrome

7. Chronic mucocutaneous candidiasis

8. Hepatic venoocclusive disease with immunodeficiency (VODI)

9. XL-dyskeratosis congenita (Hoyeraal-Hreidarsson syndrome)

The age of onset is almost always before 3 months of age. Many infants are born preterm (1/3 cases) and dysmature. The babies are frequently small for dates. The placenta may be abnormal with non-specific inflammation on histology. Umbilical cord anomalies have occasionally been reported. In severe cases, signs in the brain may be detected on prenatal ultrasound.

The presentation is pleiomorphic, making the diagnosis difficult, but the most common features of this disease involve the skin, joints, and central nervous system.

All have a maculopapular urticarial skin rash that is often present at birth (75% cases). It is probably more correctly described as an urticarial-like rash. The presence of the rash varies with time, and biopsy of these skin lesions shows a perivascular inflammatory infiltrate including granulocytes.

In about 35-65% of cases, arthritis occurs. Joint signs are variably expressed and can lead to transient swelling without sequelae between crises, or to unpredictable anomalies of growth cartilage and long bones epiphyses suggestive of a pseudo-tumour. Biopsies reveal hypertrophic cartilage without inflammatory cells. This most commonly affects the large joints (knees, ankles, elbows, and wrists) but may also involve the small joints of the hands and feet. It is usually bilateral and painful. A common and characteristic feature is giant kneecaps. Severe cases may result in contractures (joint deformities).

Most patients eventually have neurological problems. These manifest themselves in three principal ways: chronic meningitis, involvement of both the optic tract and eye, and sensorineural hearing loss. The chronic meningitis presents with the features of chronically raised intracranial pressure: headaches, vomiting, ventriculomegaly, hydrocephalus, macromegaly, cerebral atrophy, and optic atrophy. Some of these features may be evidenced on prenatal ultrasound. In 50% of cases, intellectual deficit occurs. Seizures occur in 25% of cases, but other manifestations are rare. Histological examination shows infiltration of the meninges with polymorphs.

Ocular manifestations occur in 80% of cases and include uveitis (70%), papillary involvement, conjunctivitis, and optical neuritis. If untreated, these may result in blindness (25%). The sensorineural hearing loss occurs in 75%, and tends to be progressive leading to deafness in 20% of cases.

Almost all children are remarkably short and have growth delay. Fever is extremely common but inconstant and is most often mild. Anemia is frequent. Other findings that have been reported include macrocephaly (95%), large fontanelle, prominent forehead, flattening of the nasal bridge (saddleback nose), short and thick extremities, and finger clubbing. The liver and/or spleen may be enlarged. Lymph node enlargement may also be present.

Later in life, secondary amyloidosis may occur. Delayed puberty and secondary amenorrhoea are not uncommon. Hoarseness due to inflammation of the laryngeal cartilage has also been reported.

Cryopyrin-associated periodic syndrome (CAPS) is a group of rare, heterogeneous autoinflammatory disease characterized by interleukin 1β-mediated systemic inflammation and clinical symptoms involving skin, joints, central nervous system, and eyes. It encompasses a spectrum of three clinically overlapping autoinflammatory syndromes including familial cold autoinflammatory syndrome (FCAS, formerly termed familial cold-induced urticaria), the Muckle–Wells syndrome (MWS), and neonatal-onset multisystem inflammatory disease (NOMID, also called chronic infantile neurologic cutaneous and articular syndrome or CINCA) that were originally thought to be distinct entities, but in fact share a single genetic mutation and pathogenic pathway.

The symptoms of Freeman–Sheldon syndrome include drooping of the upper eyelids, strabismus, low-set ears, a long philtrum, gradual hearing loss, scoliosis, and walking difficulties. Gastroesophageal reflux has been noted during infancy, but usually improves with age. The tongue may be small, and the limited movement of the soft palate may cause nasal speech. Often there is an H- or Y-shaped dimpling of the skin over the chin.

X-linked reticulate pigmentary disorder (also known as "familial cutaneous amyloidosis", "Partington amyloidosis", "Partington cutaneous amyloidosis", "Partington syndrome type II", "reticulate pigmentary disorder", and "X-linked reticulate pigmentary disorder with systemic manifestations") is a cutaneous condition that has been described in adult women that had linear streaks of hyperpigmentation and in which male patients manifested a reticulated mottled brown pigmentation of the skin, which, on biopsy, demonstrated dermal deposits of amyloid.

The syndrome is also referred with the acronym X-Linked-PDR or even XLPRD.It's a very rare disease, genetically determined, with a chronic course.

It was characterized in 1981. Mutation of the "POLA1" gene leads to loss of expression of the catalytic subunit of DNA polymerase-α and is responsible for XLPDR. Loss of POLA1 expression results in reduced levels of RNA:DNA hybrids in the cytosol and unexpectedly triggers aberrant immune responses (e.g. type I interferon production) which at least in part can account for the symptoms associated with XLPDR.

AMS has been described by multiple authors and institutions, and various definitions have been adopted. According to Newton et al., a scoring system allotting one point per feature establishes AMS with scores greater than or equal to 3. The features include: 1) two or more clinically atypical nevi, 2) more than 100 nevi in patients between 20 and 50 years of age, 3) more than 50 nevi in patients under 20 years of age or more than 50 years of age, 4) more than one nevus in buttocks or instep, 5) nevi on the anterior scalp, 6) one or more pigmented lesions in the iris.

The Classical (1990) definition uses the following criteria: 1) 100 or more melanocytic nevi, 2) one or more melanocytic nevi greater than or equal to 8mm in its largest diameter, and 3) one or more clinically atypical melanocytic nevi.

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) Consensus 1992 definition, which is still controversial, requires a family history of melanoma, in addition to a large number of melanocytic nevi (often greater than 50) and melanocytic nevi that present certain histological features.

Berdon syndrome, also called Megacystis-microcolon-intestinal hypoperistalsis syndrome (MMIH syndrome), is an autosomal recessive fatal genetic disorder affecting newborns. In a 2011 study of 227 children with the syndrome, "the oldest survivor [was] 24 years old." The Ann Arbor News reported a five year old survivor at the end of 2015.

It is more prevalent in females, 7 females to 3 males, and is characterized by constipation and urinary retention, microcolon, giant bladder (megacystis), intestinal hypoperistalis, hydronephrosis, and dilated small bowel. The pathological findings consist of an abundance of ganglion cells in both dilated and narrow areas of the intestine. It is a familial disturbance of unknown cause.

Walter Berdon "et al." in 1976 first described the condition in five female infants, two of whom were sisters. All had marked dilatation of the bladder and some had hydronephrosis and the external appearance of prune belly. The infants also had microcolon and dilated small intestines.

Neonatal-onset multisystem inflammatory disease (abbreviated NOMID, also known as chronic infantile neurologic cutaneous and articular syndrome, or CINCA) is a rare genetic periodic fever syndrome which causes uncontrolled inflammation in multiple parts of the body starting in the newborn period. Symptoms include skin rashes, severe arthritis, and chronic meningitis leading to neurologic damage. It is one of the cryopyrin-associated periodic syndromes.

NOMID can result from a mutation in the "CIAS1" gene (also known as "NLRP3" gene), which helps control inflammation. Mutations in this gene also cause familial cold urticaria and Muckle–Wells syndrome. NOMID has been successfully treated with the drug anakinra.

This syndrome is also known as the Prieur–Griscelli syndrome as it was first described by these authors in 1981.

In 1820 Norris reported the first case of what is now recognized as FAMMM (12). He described a 59-year-old man with melanoma, a high total body mole count, and family history of the same.

Freeman–Sheldon syndrome (FSS), also termed distal arthrogryposis type 2A (DA2A), craniocarpotarsal dysplasia (or dystrophy), Cranio-carpo-tarsal syndrome, Windmill-Vane-Hand syndrome, or Whistling-face syndrome, was originally described by Freeman and Sheldon in 1938. Freeman–Sheldon syndrome is a rare form of multiple congenital contracture (MCC) syndromes (arthrogryposes) and is the most severe form of distal arthrogryposis (DA).

Histology of the affected area commonly shows dense perivascular lymphocytic infiltration with reticulated degeneration of the epidermis. A study by Iwatsuki et al. detected Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) positive T-cells in the perivascular infiltration on biopsy in 28/29 patients tested. Antibody titers to EBV were measured in 14 of these patients and only five had abnormal antibody patterns consistent with chronic active EBV infection.

The hallmark clinical and laboratory features include high fever, hepatosplenomegaly, lymphadenopathy, pancytopenia, liver dysfunction, disseminated intravascular coagulation, hypofibrinogenemia, hyperferritinemia, and hypertriglyceridemia. Despite marked systemic inflammation, the erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) is paradoxically depressed, caused by low fibrinogen levels. The low ESR helps to distinguish the disorder from a flare of the underlying rheumatic disorder, in which case the ESR is usually elevated. A bone marrow biopsy or aspirate usually shows hemophagocytosis.

Hydroa vacciniforme (HV) is a very rare, chronic photodermatitis-type skin condition with usual onset in childhood. It was first described in 1862 by Bazin. It is sometimes called "Bazin's hydroa vacciniforme". A study published in Scotland in 2000 reviewed the cases of 17 patients and estimated a prevalence of 0.34 cases per 100,000 population. In this study they reported an average age of onset of 7.9 years. Frequently the rash first appeared in the spring or summer months and involved sun-exposed skin. The rash starts as a vesicular eruption, later becoming umbilicated, and resulted in vacciniform scarring. It is most frequently found on the nose, cheeks, ears, dorsum of the hand, and arms (places that are most exposed to light).

The most common presentation of Milroy Disease is bilateral lower extremity lymphedema, and may also be accompanied by hydrocele.

Malignant histiocytosis (also known as "Histiocytic medullary reticulosis") is a rare hereditary disease found in the Bernese Mountain Dog and humans, characterized by histiocytic infiltration of the lungs and lymph nodes. The liver, spleen, and central nervous system can also be affected. Histiocytes are a component of the immune system that proliferate abnormally in this disease. In addition to its importance in veterinary medicine, the condition is also important in human pathology.

Patients usually present with constitutional symptoms (malaise, weight loss, fatigue), and hepatosplenomegaly is commonly found on physical exam. Lymphadenopathy is also found to a lesser extent. Due to the aggressive nature of the disease, patients may initially present at a more advanced stage, with coagulopathies, hemophagocytic syndrome, and multi-organ failure.