“Normally, macrophages in the bone marrow and spleen do not engulf red blood cells and platelets on a large scale, but under pathological conditions, macrophages in the body proliferate and become activated, engulfing normal red blood cells and platelets in a phenomenon called “haemophagocytosis”, which is why the disease is called “haemophagocytosis”. The disease is also known as “haemophagocytic syndrome”.
It is important to note, however, that “haemophagocytosis” is not a requirement for the diagnosis of haemophagocytic syndrome. In 1991, the International Society of Histiocytes officially named the disease “haemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis”.