Human papilloma virus vaccine induced Kikuchi-Fujimoto disease: A case report

Cervical lymphadenopathy can be due to numerous causes. The common causes include reactive and infections conditions in children and malignancy in the elderly. Kikuchi-Fujimoto disease (KFD) is a rare cause of cervical lymphadenopathy. As viral vaccines contain viral antigens, they can trigger the development of KFD. The human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine can trigger KFD. It is important to elicit a history of prior vaccination to identify the trigger in patients with necrotising histiocytic lymphadenitis suspected of having KFD. We hereby report a case of a 16-year-old female who was diagnosed with HPV vaccine induced KFD. Ours is the first case to be reported from India. Histopathology revealed necrotising histiocytic lymphoid hyperplasia and the absence of neutrophils, eosinophils, plasma cells, vessel wall vasculitis, haematoxylin bodies, and Reed-Sternberg cells, and negative aerobic, MTB cultures, anti-nuclear antibodies, clinched the diagnosis of KFD.