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Kikuchi-Fujimoto’s disease associated with systemic lupus erythematosus: case report and review of the literature

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Abstract

Kikuchi-Fujimoto’s disease (KFD) or histiocytic necrotising lymphadenitis is a benign and self-limited disease, of unknown aetiology, which affects mainly young women. It presents with localised lymphadenopathy, predominantly in the cervical region, accompanied by fever and leukopenia in up to 50% of the cases. KFD has been rarely described in association with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), and its diagnosis can precede, postdate or coincide with the diagnosis of SLE. We present a patient with the diagnosis of SLE characterised by arthritis, leukopenia, malar rash, photosensitivity and positive ANA, besides cervical lymphadenopathy whose biopsy was compatible with KFD, which improved after using prednisone. Although the presence of lymphadenopathy is not uncommon in SLE patients, particularly in the phases of disease activity, the concomitance with KFD has rarely been reported in the literature. Its recognition is necessary because one can avoid laborious investigation for infectious and lymphoproliferative diseases.

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Acknowledgement

We thank Dr. Almir Ramos Junior for helping with the histopathological analysis.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Hospital Santa Izabel, Núcleo de Reumatologia da Bahia/Escola Bahiana de Medicina e Saúde Pública (EBMSP), Praça Almeida Couto, 500, CEP 40.000-000, Nazaré, Salvador, Bahia, Brazil

    Alex Santana, Bruno Lessa, Liliana Galrão, Isabella Lima & Mittermayer Santiago

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  1. Alex Santana
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  2. Bruno Lessa
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  3. Liliana Galrão
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  4. Isabella Lima
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Correspondence to Mittermayer Santiago.

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Santana, A., Lessa, B., Galrão, L. et al. Kikuchi-Fujimoto’s disease associated with systemic lupus erythematosus: case report and review of the literature. Clin Rheumatol 24, 60–63 (2005). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10067-004-0923-6

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10067-004-0923-6

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