Familial haemophagocytic reticulosis.

Abstract

Familial haemophagocytic reticulosis was described first by Farquhar and Claireaux (1952) in 2 infant sibs in whom various organs were infiltrated by histiocytes showing active phagocytosis of blood cells. 2 more affected infants were born subsequently to this family (Farquhar, MacGregor, and Richmond, 1958). Further reports by Nelson et al. (1961), McMahon, Bedizel, and Ellis (1963), Marrian and Sanerkin (1963), Varadi, Gordon, and Abbott (1964), and Goodall, Guthrie, and Buist (1965) have brought the total of published cases to 15, 4 of which had evidence of encephalitis (Nelson et al., 1961; McMahon et al., 1963).