Case of recurrent fever with late lymphadenopathy: Think of Kikuchi′s disease

Abstract

Kikuchi's disease or histiocytic necrotizing lymphadenitis, a relatively uncommon and self-limiting entity of varied manifestations including prolonged fever, is diagnosed primarily by excluding other more common causes of fever and established finally by the typical histological finding on lymph node biopsy. The appearance of palpable lymph nodes may be delayed and become clinically detectable only after the initial fever subsides, and the patient having spent a few days without fever comes back with episodes of recurrent fever before the lymph nodes become clinically palpable. One such case is presented here to stress upon the importance of complete and thorough systematic clinical examination on each and every visit by the patient to the physician.