[Kikuchi-Fujimoto necrotizing lymphadenitis associated with brucellosis]

A 22 year-old woman was referred to the hospital for treatment after being diagnosed of Hodgkin's disease, established by lymph node biopsy. She complained of fever and sweats, and no lymph node enlargement or visceromegaly could be appreciated. Kikuchi's necrotising lymphadenitis was diagnosed after reviewing the lymph node specimen. The microbiological and serologic tests performed showed the existence of brucellosis. The clinical symptoms easily disappeared after treatment with streptomycin and doxycycline and she has been well, with no other symptoms or lymph node enlargement, after one year of follow-up. Kikuchi's disease is usually associated with different infections, although it had never been reported in association with brucellosis. This picture can easily be mistaken as malignant lymphoma or Hodgkin's disease.