[Pathogenic links between Kikuchi's disease and lupus: a report of three new cases].
BACKGROUND
Histiocytic necrotizing lymphadenitis or Kikuchi-Fujimoto's disease is a rare anatomoclinical entity whose etiology remains unknown. It is mainly reported in young adult female, presenting with cervical lymphadenopathies, fever and asthenia. The diagnosis is based on the histological examination of a lymph node biopsy. The disease course is usually uneventful, but sometimes Kikuchi-Fujimoto's disease can reveal or evolve into a cutaneous or a systemic lupus.


METHODS
We report three new cases of Kikuchi's disease: the first one mimicked a systemic lupus, the second one was associated with a lupus-like rash, and a the last one was a severe case with hemophagocytic syndrome and a primo-infection with Epstein-Barr virus revealing a systemic lupus erythematosus.


CONCLUSIONS
Clinical and biological follow-up of patients presenting with Kikuchi's disease is necessary to look for an association with a lupus. We discuss the pathogenic links between Kikuchi's disease and lupus.
Leyral
C
C
Service de médecine interne et maladies infectieuses, hôpital Haut-Lévêque, avenue de Magellan, 33604 Pessac, France.
Camou
F
F
Perlemoine
C
C
Caubet
O
O
Pellegrin
J L
JL
Viallard
J F
JF
D000328:Adult; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D005260:Female; D020042:Histiocytic Necrotizing Lymphadenitis / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D008180:Lupus Erythematosus, Systemic / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male