Detailed Imaging Findings in a Rare Case of Kimura Disease, with Special Mention on Diffusion Weighted Imaging

Kimura disease is an uncommon, benign, chronic, idiopathic disease that is seen mainly in the Asian population, particularly in females. It mainly affects the salivary glands and in particular parotid and cervical lymph nodes. So far, the diagnosis of Kimura disease has been based on histopathology. We hereby report of a confirmed case of Kimura disease and provide a detailed explanation of its imaging features with a special emphasis on diffusion-weighted imaging, as diffusion sequences may help distinguish Kimura disease from malignancy.

A middle-aged female patient presenting with a history of multiple chronic neck swellings was thoroughly evaluated by ultrasound (US), computed tomography (CT), and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). The imaging findings included gross enlargement of the left parotid gland, a focal lesion in the right parotid gland, and cervical lymphadenopathy. These features correlated with histopathological findings, and the diagnosis of Kimura disease was made.

The imaging findings were found to be specific for Kimura disease.