Kikuchi's disease in children: clinical manifestations and imaging features

Previously published studies on Kikuchi disease (KD) have frequently addressed the computed tomography (CT) findings in the adult population, however, only a few studies have been reported for the pediatric age group. The purpose of this study is to analyze the clinical characteristics and imaging features of KD in children. Fifteen children (2-14 yr) who had a neck CT and pathology diagnosis of KD were included in this study. Clinical features, including the duration of lymphadenopathy and fever, prognosis, and laboratory values, were evaluated. We analyzed the sites, size, and lymph node pattern as seen on their CT scans. The median duration of fever was 10 days. Fourteen patients experienced improvement in their condition, although four of these patients experienced recurrent episodes of KD. All patients had affected cervical nodes at level V. Perinodal infiltrates were observed in the affected cervical nodes in 14 cases (93%), and non-enhancing necrosis was also noted within the affected cervical nodes in 10 cases (63%). In conclusion, the combination of imaging findings in conjunction with clinical findings of KD may help to determine whether or not to perform pathology analysis and follow-up studies.