Kikuchi-Fujimoto disease: a rare but important differential diagnosis for lymphadenopathy.

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. 2014 BMJ Publishing Group Ltd.