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.