Abstract

Introduction: The Kikuchi-Fujimoto disease (KFD), also called histiocytic necrotizing lymphadenitis, is a benign, self-limiting disease of lymph nodes. It is a disease of unknown aetiology, and it causes cervical lymphadenitis. It predominantly affects young women. It closely mimics an infective, neoplastic or autoimmune disorder. Case report: Here, we present a case of a 28-year female having enlarged cervical and axillary lymph nodes. She had a fever, rash, and arthralgia. Fine needle aspiration cytology (FNAC) was reported reactive lymphadenitis, and the patient started on antibiotics. The response was unsatisfactory, so further investigations were done, including workup for tuberculosis and lymphomas. Histopathology and immunohistochemistry suggested the diagnosis of Kikuchi's disease. She responded well to symptomatic treatment. Conclusion: The paper highlights a rare disease entity, i.e., Kikuchi-Fujimoto disease. The presentation is misleading; unless the clinician knows this disease, it involves unnecessary investigations and treatment.

Key words: Kikuchi-Fujimoto disease, Histiocytic Necrotizing Lymphadenitis, Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE), Immunohistochemistry