Aseptic meningitis in Kikuchi's disease mimicking tuberculous meningitis

Abstract

Kikuchi's disease (KD) is a histiocytic necrotizing lymphadenopathy. KD is an enigmatic, benign, and self-limiting disease characterized by regional lymphadenopathy. It usually affects young Asian women and an involvement of central nervous system is rare in KD and only few cases of aseptic meningitis associated with KD have been reported. Aseptic meningitis in KD might have very close clinical and laboratory findings with other etiologies of meningitis such as viral and tuberculous meningitis and it should be differentiated from those meningitis. Here, we report a case of KD manifested as meningitis with elevated cerebrospinal fluid and serum adenosine deaminase that is common and suggestive feature of tuberculous meningitis. A close observation of the different clinical course and excisional biopsy of regional lymphadenopathy might be critical points for distinguishing meningitis associated with KD from tuberculous meningitis. © 2012 Springer-Verlag Italia.