A clinical study of histiocytic necrotizing lymphadenitis (Kikuchi's disease) in children.
OBJECTIVE
Histiocytic necrotizing lymphadenitis (HNL) is a cervical lymphadenitis that occurs rarely in children. This study was conducted to identify the clinical characteristics of lymphadenitis in children and compare the clinical characteristics observed in children and adults.


METHODS
The clinical characteristics, diagnosis, treatment, and prognosis of the 20 patients 18 years of age or younger who were diagnosed with HNL based on histological tests conducted at Gyeongsang University Hospital from January 1998 to December 2006 were analyzed.


RESULTS
HNL affected males and females at a 1:1 ratio, but HNL was more common in boys (8:3) among the children and HNL affected more girls among the adolescents (2:7). Cervical lymphadenopathy was the main symptom. The antinuclear antibody test was positive in three patients. Two relapse cases were reported, but both patients recuperated within several months without complications.


CONCLUSIONS
HNL affected males and females at an equal incidence (1:1). But HNL occurred more often in male children than in female children, and more often in female adolescents than in male adolescents. Relapse occurred in 10% of the cases. HNL could progress into systemic lupus erythematosus in the three cases that were ANA-positive. Thus, a long follow-up period is important.
Seo
Ji Hyun
JH
Department of Pediatrics, Institute of Health Sciences, College of Medicine, Gyeongsang National University, Jinju, South Korea.
Shim
Hyun Seok
HS
Park
Jung Je
JJ
Jeon
Sea Yuong
SY
Kim
Jin Pyeong
JP
Ahn
Sung Ki
SK
Hur
Dong Gu
DG
Ahn
Seong Yong
SY
Kwon
Oh Jin
OJ
D000293:Adolescent; D000974:Antibodies, Antinuclear / Q000097:blood; D001706:Biopsy; D002097:C-Reactive Protein / Q000032:analysis; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D005334:Fever / Q000209:etiology; D020042:Histiocytic Necrotizing Lymphadenitis / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000276:immunology / Q000628:therapy; D006801:Humans; D006984:Hypertrophy / Q000209:etiology; D007723:Korea; D007902:Length of Stay; D007970:Leukopenia / Q000209:etiology; D008198:Lymph Nodes / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D009504:Neutrophils / Q000378:metabolism; D012008:Recurrence; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D017678:Sex Distribution
D000974:Antibodies, Antinuclear; D002097:C-Reactive Protein