Kikuchi-Fujimoto disease in Nepal: a study of 6 cases.
BACKGROUND
Kikuchi-Fujimoto disease is a benign disorder, predominantly affecting young women with a predilection for cervical lymphadenopathy. Although the disease has been recognized worldwide, to our knowledge no cases have been reported previously from Nepal.


OBJECTIVE
To determine the prevalence of Kikuchi-Fujimoto disease in Nepal and to analyze clinicopathologic features.


METHODS
We reviewed 6 cases of Kikuchi-Fujimoto disease recorded at 3 different hospitals in Nepal during a period from June 1998 to June 2002. Clinical data and histopathology are presented.


RESULTS
This study included 5 females and 1 boy, aged 13 to 32 years. These patients presented with prolonged fever and lymphadenopathy. The 5 female patients had cervical lymphadenopathy, and the boy had axillary lymphadenopathy. Complete blood counts revealed raised erythrocyte sedimentation rates in all patients and anemia in 2 patients. The size of excised lymph nodes (in greatest dimension) ranged from 1.5 to 5 cm. Typical histologic features were seen, namely, architectural effacement due to presence of pale nodular lymphohistiocytic foci with karyorrhectic debris, coagulation necrosis, eosinophilic debris, and absence of granulocytic infiltration. In a follow-up of the cases, disease recurrence was not found.


CONCLUSIONS
Our study emphasizes that Kikuchi-Fujimoto disease should be considered as one of the differential diagnoses in patients with prolonged fever and cervical lymphadenopathy and that it should be differentiated from tuberculous lymphadenitis in regions where tuberculosis is prevalent.
Adhikari
Ram Chandra
RC
Department of Pathology, Tribhuvan University Teaching Hospital, Kathmandu, Nepal. rcadhikari@hotmail.com
Sayami
Gita
G
Lee
Min Chul
MC
Basnet
Ranga Bahadur
RB
Shrestha
Pradeep Krishna
PK
Shrestha
Hari Govinda
HG
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D020042:Histiocytic Necrotizing Lymphadenitis / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009390:Nepal / Q000453:epidemiology