KIKUCHI-FUJIMOTO DISEASE: A MYSTERIOUS CAUSE FOR NON-CANCEROUS ENLARGEMENT OF THE LYMPH NODES

Abstract

Kikuchi's disease, also known as histiocytic necrotizing lymphadenopathy, is a rare, benign, condition of the lymph nodes. It most commonly affects young adults, primarily young women. It is usually characterized by cervical lymphadenopathy, fever and often mistaken for malignant lymphoma. The lesions, or tissue anomalies, of this disorder cause the lymph nodes to become enlarged, inflamed and painful, resembling the lymphadenitis of systemic lupus erythematosus. The cause of this disease is not known although infectious and autoimmune etiologies have been proposed. It is a self limiting illness with symptoms which may overlap with other conditions leading to misdiagnosis in some patients. We report one such case diagnosed as Kikuchi's disease.