An unusual cause of cervical lymphadenitis: Kikuchi-Fujimoto disease.
Cervical lymphadenitis may be the result of diverse conditions in a patient. Clinical and epidemiologic information about cervical lymphadenitis can often lead to a presumptive diagnosis and, thus, limit the number of studies required as well as direct the type of initial therapy administered. We report a case of cervical lymphadenitis in a Vietnamese woman for whom a presumptive diagnosis of tuberculosis was made and antituberculous therapy was started. Pathologic examination of an excised lymph node revealed the correct diagnosis--histiocytic necrotizing lymphadenitis, or Kikuchi-Fujimoto disease. We review the clinical, epidemiologic, and pathologic features of this recently recognized disease. Careful examination of excised material from the lymph nodes should prevent patients who have Kikuchi-Fujimoto disease from receiving unnecessary treatment.
Dylewski
J
J
Department of Medicine, St. Mary's Hospital Center, Montreal, Quebec, Canada.
Berry
G
G
Pham-Dang
H
H
D000328:Adult; D001706:Biopsy; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D005260:Female; D006644:Histiocytes / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D008198:Lymph Nodes / Q000473:pathology*; D008199:Lymphadenitis / Q000209:etiology* / Q000473:pathology; D009333:Neck; D009336:Necrosis; D014388:Tuberculosis, Lymph Node / Q000175:diagnosis*