Hodgkin lymphoma-associated hemophagocytic syndrome:: A disorder strongly correlated with Epstein-Barr virus

The retrospective study of 34 patients with Hodgkin lymphoma-associated hemophagocytic syndrome led us to define this association as a specific disorder. Its characteristics are male predominance (male-to-female sex ratio, 3.3:1), immunodeficiency-like histological features (lymphocyte depletion, 45% of cases; mixed cellularity Hodgkin lymphoma subtype, 40%), and strong association with Epstein-Barr virus (94%).