Kikuchi-Fujimoto disease complicated by aseptic meningitis and hemophagocytosis successfully treated with intrathecal dexamethasone

Xiaoyan Huang; Xixi Chen; Sun-Wing Tong; Yan Wang; Jifu Cai; Chaowen Deng; Lijun Zhang

doi:10.1016/j.heliyon.2020.e04193

Kikuchi-Fujimoto disease complicated by aseptic meningitis and hemophagocytosis successfully treated with intrathecal dexamethasone

Heliyon. 2020 Jun 18;6(6):e04193. doi: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2020.e04193. eCollection 2020 Jun.

Authors

Xiaoyan Huang¹, Xixi Chen¹, Sun-Wing Tong², Yan Wang², Jifu Cai³, Chaowen Deng⁴, Lijun Zhang¹

Affiliations

¹ Department of Rheumatology, The University of Hong Kong- Shenzhen Hospital, Shenzhen, 518053, China.
² Department of Pathology, The University of Hong Kong- Shenzhen Hospital, Shenzhen, 518053, China.
³ Department of Neurology, The University of Hong Kong- Shenzhen Hospital, Shenzhen, 518053, China.
⁴ Department of Microbiology, The University of Hong Kong- Shenzhen Hospital, Shenzhen, 518053, China.

Abstract

Kikuchi-Fujimoto disease (KFD) is thought to be a self-limited disease featuring fever and cervical lymphadenopathy; most cases having a favorable outcome. Severe disease and death are occasionally reported. Here we report a case of KFD complicated by hemophagocytosis and aseptic meningitis. The symptoms and laboratory parameters improved after systemic glucocorticoids, intravenous immunoglobulin and one dose of intrathecal dexamethasone. Clinicians should aware of this disease and make early diagnosis by lymph node biopsy to avoid over-treatment.

Keywords: Aseptic meningitis; Diagnostics; Drug delivery; Emergency medicine; Hematological system; Hemophagocytosis; Immune system; Internal medicine; Intrathecal injection; Kikuchi-fujimoto disease; Medical microbiology; Necrotizing lymphadenitis; Neurology; Pathology.

Publication types

Case Reports