A Case of Intra-Abdominal Kikuchi's Disease with Increased FDG Uptake on PET-CT that Mimicked Intra-Abdominal Lymphoma

ABSTRACT

Kikuchi's disease is a benign disease characterized mainly by fever and cervical lymphadenitis. We report a case of Kikuchi's disease that manifested as intra-abdominal lymphadenitis. A 39 year old woman presented with fever that had persisted for one week. Her history and physical examination were unremarkable. The laboratory findings revealed mild leukopenia and increased C-reactive protein. Abdominal CT revealed multiple lymph node enlargements in the mesenteric root and around the ileocecal valve. Positron emission tomography-computed tomography (PET-CT) revealed increased 18-fluoro-deoxyglucose(FDG) uptake in the lymph nodes observed by abdominal CT. A laparoscopic excisional biopsy of the lymph node was performed for a confirmatory diagnosis and the pathology findings were compatible with Kikuchi's disease. Although intra-abdominal Kikuchi's disease is a rare disease, it should be considered in a differential diagnosis of intra-abdominal lymphadenopathy with increased FDG uptake on PET-CT.