A 20-year-old female with Still's disease who had contracted hepatitis A became critically ill 2 weeks after the onset of jaundice with pancytopenia, coagulopathy, deteriorating liver function tests, and hepatomegaly. The diagnosis of virus-associated haemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis was made, and she improved slowly after supportive treatment with parenteral steroids and immunoglobulin. Twelve years earlier, at the onset of her arthritis, she had suffered a similar episode of haemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis in association with Epstein-Barr virus infection.