Take a second look: it's Kikuchi's disease! A case report and review of literature

Clin Pract. 2018 Dec 12;8(4):1095. doi: 10.4081/cp.2018.1095. eCollection 2018 Oct 26.

Abstract

Generalized lymphadenopathy is a common cause of concern for both patients and clinicians. Possible etiologies include infections, malignancies and autoimmune diseases. Kikuchi Fujimoto disease (KFD) is a hyperergic condition that presents with fever, lymphadenopathy and can include systemic involvement, thus being easily mistaken for the above-mentioned entities. We report the case of a previously healthy 18- year old male who presented with a selflimiting generalized lymphadenopathy, high fevers, skin vasculitis and polyserositis. The lymph-node biopsy revealed a histiocytotic necrotizing lymphadenitis, suggestive of Kikuchi's disease. This case emphasizes the importance of KFD in the differential diagnosis of lymphadenopathy, especially in young adults.

Keywords: Kikuchi’s disease; Necrotising histiocytic lymphadenitis.