{
  "abstract": "Hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis (HLH) is a life-threatening, systemic inflammatory syndrome. Cases without an identifiable acquired trigger are referred to as secondary HLH. In this report, we describe the case of a 24 year-old woman whose underlying cause of HLH was particularly difficult to determine. Her condition was initially suspected to be due to lamotrigine use but is now thought to be a result of undifferentiated connective tissue disease. During the patient's prolonged and complex hospital stay, she received the diagnosis of secondary HLH. Discontinuing lamotrigine, a drug that rarely causes HLH, did not improve her condition. The patient was tested for infectious and malignant conditions with negative results. Further workup revealed a positive ANA and bilateral MCP tenosynovitis, with negative specific antibodies, suggesting an undefined rheumatologic process. A number of conventional therapies did not show clear benefit, including etoposide, high-dose steroids, rituximab, and plasmapheresis. The patient remained in critical condition until she began treatment with ruxolitinib, with which she remains stable more than 5 years later. Ruxolitinib has shown some success in treating HLH in preliminary studies, but it is still considered a salvage therapy. This case illustrates the successful use of ruxolitinib in a patient with HLH likely due to undifferentiated connective tissue disease.",
  "abstract_shown": true,
  "affiliations": [
    "Carle Illinois College of Medicine Urbana Illinois USA.",
    "Carle Foundation Hospital Urbana Illinois USA carle.org."
  ],
  "article_type": null,
  "arxiv": null,
  "author_total": 3,
  "authors": [
    {
      "affs": [
        0
      ],
      "name": "Emily Vachon",
      "orcid": "0009-0002-3638-482X"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        1
      ],
      "name": "Heena Birbal Jain",
      "orcid": "0009-0002-8323-3530"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        0,
        1
      ],
      "name": "Suzanna Kitten",
      "orcid": "0009-0007-9808-2807"
    }
  ],
  "bibtex": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/2e6h5s3x5ygyc.bib",
  "cited_by": 0,
  "doi": "10.1155/crrh/9165820",
  "fulltext_url": "https://europepmc.org/articles/PMC13677135",
  "id": "2e6h5s3x5ygyc",
  "issns": [
    "2090-6889",
    "2090-6897"
  ],
  "landing_url": "https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42894865",
  "language": "eng",
  "licence": "CC-BY",
  "licence_label": "CC BY",
  "licence_source": "article",
  "licence_url": "https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/",
  "metadata_licence": null,
  "native_subjects": [
    [
      "openalex",
      "2720|Autoimmune and Inflammatory Disorders Research"
    ]
  ],
  "openalex": "W7222865576",
  "pdf_url": "https://europepmc.org/articles/PMC13677135?pdf=render",
  "pmcid": "PMC13677135",
  "pmid": "42894865",
  "published": "2026-10-18",
  "publisher": null,
  "ris": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/2e6h5s3x5ygyc.ris",
  "sources": [
    {
      "first_seen": "2026-10-30T12:19:33Z",
      "native_id": "MED:42894865",
      "source": "europepmc",
      "url": "https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42894865"
    }
  ],
  "subjects": [
    {
      "field": "medicine",
      "origin": "openalex:2720|Autoimmune and Inflammatory Disorders Research",
      "subfield": "general"
    }
  ],
  "title": "Hemophagocytic Lymphohistiocytosis Thought to Be due to Undifferentiated Connective Tissue Disease Treated With Ruxolitinib: A Case Report.",
  "title_text": "Hemophagocytic Lymphohistiocytosis Thought to Be due to Undifferentiated Connective Tissue Disease Treated With Ruxolitinib: A Case Report.",
  "type": "peer-reviewed",
  "updated_at": "2026-10-30T12:19:33Z",
  "url": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/2e6h5s3x5ygyc",
  "venue": "Case reports in rheumatology",
  "versions": []
}