Histiocytic necrotising lymphadenitis (kikuchi's disease) [a 5 year histomorphological study].

Background: Kikuchi’s disease is a rare, benign, self-limiting disease, mainly involving the lymph nodes of young people. The disease has unknown etiology. Clinical symptoms and basic investigations in a patient often leads to a misdiagnosis, due to similar findings in other lesions like, lymphomas and chronic granulomatous inflammations of lymph nodes like tuberculosis. Lymph node biopsy shows characteristic diagnostic features. Methods: We studied all lymph node biopsies received in department of pathology & from other private laboratories in Rural and Urban areas, in & around Bareilly region of North India, in 5 years (2006-2010). Relevant clinical data was collected. Findings were correlated with previous studies. A total number of 1015 cases were examined. Results: A total of 15 cases showed histopathological features of Kikuchi’s disease. Most number of cases was seen in females, in the age group of 20-25 years. Patients presented with fever and lymphadenopathy, with a clinical provisional diagnosis of tuberculosis in maximum number of cases.Conclusion: Necrotising lymphadenitis has a striking predilection for cervical lymph nodes of females and is usually accompanied by fever. Most commonly, this disease is mistaken for tuberculosis or Lupus Lymphadenitis. Detailed clinical examination and characteristic histopathological findings help in diagnosing these lesions.