Clinical outcome and predictive factors of recurrence among patients with Kikuchi's disease.
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate the clinical outcome and predictive factors of recurrence among patients with Kikuchi's disease.


METHODS
Between January 2001 and December 2006, all patients with Kikuchi's disease were included in the study. Data were collected on co-morbidities, clinical manifestations, and ultrasound/laboratory findings, and the differences were compared between recurrent disease and non-recurrent disease groups.


RESULTS
The study included 102 patients with a mean age of 26.7 years. Among these patients, three developed systemic lupus erythematosus during the follow-up period, while two cases were later associated with tuberculosis. Eight patients (7.8%) experienced early relapse and 13 (12.7%) showed late recurrence. Patients with recurrent episodes were more likely to have fever and fatigue with extranodal involvement. Compared to the non-recurrent cases, recurrent cases remained symptomatic for a rather longer duration. The positive rate of the fluorescence anti-nuclear antibody (FANA) test was significantly higher in the recurrent disease group compared to the non-recurrent disease group.


CONCLUSIONS
Kikuchi's disease took a self-limiting clinical course in most cases, but the recurrence rate found in the present study was higher than that of previous reports. Kikuchi's disease might be a phenotype of diverse disease entities. The prognosis is different according to the underlying cause. The FANA test would be useful in predicting recurrence.
Song
Joon Young
JY
Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Internal Medicine, Korea University College of Medicine, Korea University Guro Hospital, 97 Guro Dong-Gil, Guro Gu, 152-703 Seoul, Republic of Korea.
Lee
Jacob
J
Park
Dae Won
DW
Sohn
Jang Wook
JW
Suh
Sang Il
SI
Kim
In Sun
IS
Kim
Woo Joo
WJ
Kim
Min Ja
MJ
Cheong
Hee Jin
HJ
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000974:Antibodies, Antinuclear; D001327:Autoimmune Diseases / Q000150:complications* / Q000175:diagnosis; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D020042:Histiocytic Necrotizing Lymphadenitis / Q000150:complications* / Q000473:pathology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D012008:Recurrence; D012075:Remission, Spontaneous; D014376:Tuberculosis / Q000150:complications*; D055815:Young Adult
D000974:Antibodies, Antinuclear