Kikuchi's disease: an unusual presentation and a therapeutic challenge

Kikuchi's disease, or necrotizing histiocytic lymphadenitis, is a rare disease that presents predominantly in young women in their 20s and 30s from the Far East. Our case depicts an African-American male, in his sixth decade of life, presenting with Kikuchi's disease, making our case unusual. The clinical presentation, together with laboratory and pathological tests described here, specifically the utilization of immunohistochemistry, aid in establishing a diagnosis. We advocate the use of steroids as symptomatic therapy and provide a novel and successful therapeutic regimen. We do not recommend antibiotic therapy until an infectious etiology is confirmed.