Kikuchi–Fujimoto Disease Presenting as Brachial Plexus Neuritis: A Case Report

Abstract

Kikuchi?Fujimoto disease is a rare, idiopathic, self-limiting necrotizing lymphadenitis of unknown etiology. It usually affects young Asian women. Clinically, it closely resembles with tuberculosis or lymphomas. This pathology has occasionally been associated with various cardiac, renal, pulmonary, and other systemic complications. The association of the disease in context to other neurological pathologies is even more sporadic. We report a case of Kikuchi?Fujimoto disease in a 56-year-old woman associated with the rare presentation as brachial plexus neuritis. The diagnosis was established histopathologically upon surgical resection of lesion. We discuss the peculiar features of presentation, pathological elements, surgical management, and postoperative outcome with special emphasis on complications of this clinical entity.

Kikuchi’s disease in a young Scandinavian woman

“…Depending on the site of the enlarged lymph node, Kikuchi's disease can give rise to focal as well as universal symptoms, such as brachial plexus neuritis (supraclavicular region) [8], gastrointestinal symptoms (periportal and retroperitoneal lymph nodes [6].…”

“…The unspeci ic symptoms and the rarity of the illness means that there are many other differential diagnoses to consider, e.g. lymphoma, tuberculosis, metastatic disease, infectious mononucleosis, systemic lupus erythematous (SLE) or cat scratch disease [1,[5][6][7][8].…”