Radiotherapy for Kimura's disease: case report and review of the literature.

Kimura's disease is a chronic inflammatory disease of uncertain etiology which involves subcutaneous tissue, presents as a tumor-like lesion and predominantly occurs in the head and neck region. Radiotherapy has been used for treating unresectable or recurrent lesions. We report a 32-year-old male who presented with a mass on the right side of the neck. The mass measured 52 x 40 mm. Peripheral eosinophilia and 5-fold increase in serum IgE level were found. Pathological evaluation following subtotal excision of the mass confirmed Kimura's disease and the patient was given prednisolone p.o. Local recurrence was observed one month later for which the patient received local radiotherapy. No recurrence has been observed up to 30 months in the post-radiotherapy period. Effective radiotherapy given in a favorable schedule and dosage could be a highly effective alternative when other treatment modalities are unsuccessful.