A study of the viral etiology of histiocytic necrotizing lymphadenitis (Kikuchi-Fujimoto disease)

Abstract

Histiocytic necrotizing lymphadenitis (HNL) or Kikuchi's disease is a distinctive, self-limited disorder characterized by necrotizing cervical lymphadenopathy in young individuals. HNL is more prevalent among Asians and is a relatively common disorder among Koreans. A preceding fever, lymphopenia, and occasional skin rashes suggest a viral etiology and there have been sporadic reports of viral association. However, so far, no infectious agent has been proven to be etiologically related. In the present study, the authors examined HNL tissue samples for the presence of the genome of herpesviridae. A polymerase chain reaction was performed on 12 freshly frozen lymph nodes with HNL with a single pair of consensus primers selected within a highly conserved region of the DNA polymerase gene of the Epstein-Barr virus (EBV), designed to detect herpes simplex type 1 (HSV1), herpes simplex virus type 2 (HSV2), and cytomegalovirus (CMV) in addition to EBV. The amplified products of known sizes were then analyzed by a single restriction enzyme treatment for confirmation. No viral DNA was amplified in any of the 12 cases of histiocytic necrotizing lymphadenitis. The authors conclude that there is no evidence that HSV1, HSV2, CMV, or EBV plays any role in the pathogenesis of histiocytic necrotizing lymphadenitis. Copyright © The Korean Academy of Medical Sciences.