ABSTRACT
Kikuchi-Fujimoto disease (KFD) is histiocytic necrotizing lymphadenitis, a rare immune-mediated disorder presenting with lymphadenopathy, leukopenia, and occasionally fever. Herein we report a case of KFD who presented with anorexia, fever, and cervical lymphadenopathy. Lymph node biopsy and immunohistochemistry confirmed the diagnosis of KFD. She was treated with prednisolone and paracetamol, and her condition improved gradually on subsequent follow-up. A patient presenting with fever and lymphadenopathy leads to prompt investigations for common diseases such as tuberculosis and lymphoma. However, rare diseases like KFD must be kept in mind, and a lymph node biopsy followed by histopathologic examination and immunohistochemistry should be done to confirm the diagnosis.
ABSTRACT
Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is a multisystemic autoimmune disease that can affect almost every organ in the body. Its complications can often be fatal. The fatal complications include lupus cerebritis, lupus nephritis, and cardiac manifestations such as pericardial effusion. In this report, we discuss the case of a 23-year-old female who presented with complaints of high-grade fever, seizures, and altered mental state (AMS) and was found to have generalized lymphadenopathy (LAP). Various blood and urine analyses and radiological findings (chest X-ray, MRI of the head) were suggestive of lupus nephritis, lupus cerebritis, massive pericardial effusion, and thrombocytopenia. Her anti-double stranded DNA (anti-dsDNA) antibody was positive, and her pericardial fluid was positive for anti-nuclear antibodies (ANAs). She was administered IV glucocorticoids and phenytoin. She reported improvements in her symptoms gradually for a few days but eventually succumbed to the disease. Although generalized LAP is a rare initial presentation of SLE, it should be included in the differential diagnosis of the disease.
