title: Kikuchi-Fujimoto disease: a rare but important differential diagnosis for lymphadenopathy.
abstract: A 23-year-old man presented with a 6-week history of fevers, cervical lymphadenopathy and fatigue. A CT of the neck, chest, abdomen and pelvis showed left cervical lymphadenopathy, enlarged lymph nodes in the axilla and groin and hepatomegaly. A left cervical excisional lymph node biopsy was undertaken and the histopathological findings were consistent with Kikuchi-Fujimoto disease. He was treated with high-dose prednisolone for 1 week, which was then tapered. Generalised arthralgia and daily episodes of malaise were experienced for a subsequent 2 months following the cessation of corticosteroids. The condition lasted 4 months from the onset of symptoms. This case report highlights the importance of including Kikuchi-Fujimoto disease as a differential diagnosis for lymphadenopathy. Kikuchi-Fujimoto disease has commonly been mistaken for tuberculosis and lymphoma, and unnecessary exposure to agents used to treat these conditions can be avoided by prompt histological diagnosis.
authors.affiliation: School of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK.
authors.forename: Mukunthan
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Srikantharajah
authors.affiliation: Department of Haematology, Centre of Clinical Haematology, Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Birmingham, UK.
authors.forename: Prem
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Mahendra
authors.affiliation: Department of Histopathology, Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Birmingham, UK.
authors.forename: Bindu
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Vydianath
authors.affiliation: Department of Haematology, Centre of Clinical Haematology, Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Birmingham, UK.
authors.forename: Gillian C
authors.initials: GC
authors.lastname: Lowe
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001706:Biopsy; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D005938:Glucocorticoids / Q000627:therapeutic use; D020042:Histiocytic Necrotizing Lymphadenitis / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D008198:Lymph Nodes / Q000473:pathology*; D008206:Lymphatic Diseases; D008297:Male; D009333:Neck; D011239:Prednisolone / Q000627:therapeutic use; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D005938:Glucocorticoids; D011239:Prednisolone