Ahmed Hashim^1,, Mohamedanwar Ghandour², Hammam Shereef¹, Ahmed H Abdulrahim³, Rabia Bangash¹, Faisal Musa⁴, Fadi Abu Yasin⁵

We report a case of Kikuchi-Fujimoto disease (KFD) in an 18-year-old African American female who presents with a high-grade fever, sweating, and painful right-sided cervical lymphadenopathy. Lab analysis showed leukopenia, thrombocytopenia, and an elevated C-reactive protein. The remaining infectious and autoimmune work-up was negative. Given her clinical presentation, an infectious etiology was suspected, and broad-spectrum antibiotics were empirically started. Bicytopenia in the setting of lymphadenopathy raised the suspicion for lymphoma with bone marrow infiltration. An excisional biopsy was performed, and a histological exam of the lymph nodes showed necrotizing histiocytic lymphadenitis consistent with KFD. She was discharged on Naproxen and Tylenol with a referral to Rheumatology. This case highlights the rarity of bicytopenia in KFD and the importance of early and prompt diagnosis in order to avoid unnecessary testing and inappropriate treatment.

Kikuchi-Fujimoto Disease, lymphadenopathy