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Volume 38, Issue 5, Pages 450-456 (September 2009)


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Fever of unknown origin (FUO) caused by Kikuchi's disease mimicking lymphoma

Burke A. Cunha, MDCorresponding Author Information, Nardeen Mickail, MD, Nicole Durie, MD, Francisco M. Pherez, MD, Stephanie Strollo, MD

published online 13 July 2009.

Fever of unknown origin (FUO) refers to infectious, neoplastic, or rheumatic/inflammatory disorders that present with fevers of 101°F or greater for 3 weeks and that remain undiagnosed after an intensive in-hospital or outpatient workup. The noninfectious causes of FUO in adults are most often lymphomas or rheumatic/inflammatory disorders. Among the rare causes of rheumatic/inflammatory FUOs is Kikuchi's disease. Kikuchi's disease (Kikuchi-Fujimoto disease) is also known as histiocytic necrotizing lymphadenitis, a benign, self-limited disorder usually in middle-aged women of Asian descent. Cervical adenopathy is typical and often accompanied by leukopenia. In middle-aged adults patients presenting with an FUO, the presence of otherwise unexplained cervical adenopathy should suggest the possibility of lymphoma or, rarely, Kikuchi's disease.

Infectious Disease Division, Winthrop-University Hospital, Mineola, New York; and State University of New York School of Medicine, Stony Brook, New York

Corresponding Author InformationReprint requests: Burke A. Cunha, MD, Chief, Infectious Disease Division, Winthrop-University Hospital, Mineola, NY 11501

PII: S0147-9563(09)00006-5

doi:10.1016/j.hrtlng.2009.01.002


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