Kikuchi-Fujimoto Disease in a 25-Year-Old Female: A Case Report

Background: Kikuchi-Fujimoto disease or histiocytic necrotizing lymphadenitis is a rare benign disease that presents as cervical lymphadenopathy and fever. Case presentation: A 25-year-old South Asian female dentist, recently married, presented to our emergency department due to two weeks of fever, sore throat, swollen neck, and cough. The patient initially presented to a private clinic and was prescribed antibiotics on two visits. On physical examination, her neck was swollen with palpable and tender right posterior and submandibular lymph nodes. Oropharyngeal examination revealed pharyngeal hyperemia without tonsillar enlargement, exudates, or mucocutaneous ulcers. Ultrasound imaging revealed enlarged neck and thoracic and abdominal lymph nodes. CBC showed leukopenia and anemia of chronic disease. B2 microglobulin, lactate dehydrogenase, and kappa light chains were elevated. Anti-ANA, anti-dsDNA, HIV polymerase chain reaction (PCR), Quantiferon-tuberculosis (TB), and rapid plasma reagin were all negative. A lymph node biopsy confirmed the diagnosis of Kikuchi-Fujimoto disease. Conclusion: We believe this is the second case to be reported in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). Kikuchi-Fujimoto disease has a non-specific presentation that overlaps with several conditions including autoimmune, infectious, and malignant. Therefore, a thorough clinical approach and a high grade of clinical suspicion is required to rule out other possible differential diagnosis. Finally, Although Kikuchi-Fujimoto disease is mostly benign, clinicians should be careful as some patients might develop systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), Still disease, or B cell lymphoma in the future.