Kikuchi's Disease though usually a relatively benign and self-limiting entity, if mistaken for other more serious conditions would result in many avoidable psychological, physical and financial strains for the patients and all others concerned with their care.
Kikuchi’s Disease or histiocytic necrotizing lymphadenitis, a self-limiting entity of varied manifestations including prolonged fever and cervical lymphadenitis at times poses diagnostic problems because of presently non-available specific laboratory tests for its definitive diagnosis. It should be considered in the differential diagnosis of un-explained fever with cervical lymphadenitis in young adults with varied sign and symptoms such as sore-throat, cough, rhinorrhea, chills, cephalgia and non-specific myalgias. Histopathological reports of fine needle aspiration or excision biopsy of accessible lymph node together with immune-histo-chemistry if available, is the means presently available for making a definitive diagnosis of Kikuchi’s disease. It usually runs a benign course, recurrences are very rare and over-all prognosis is generally favorable. Treatment is primarily symptomatic.