CHILD FATALITY ASSOCIATED WITH PATHOLOGICAL FEATURES OF HISTIOCYTIC NECROTIZING LYMPHADENITIS (KIKUCHI-FUJIMOTO-DISEASE)

We report a case of histiocytic necrotizing lymphadenitis without gran ulocytic infiltration (Kikuchi-Fujimoto disease), diagnosed at necrops y in a 19-month-old child dying unexpectedly after a febrile illness. This is the youngest case with this disease that has been thus far rep orted. It is one of only two reported cases in which the patient died during the acute phase of the illness. Histological findings not unlik e those seen in the lymph nodes were present at extranodal sites; this is the first case in which this feature has been described. In keepin g with many other reported cases, it was not possible to identify an u nderlying etiology that might explain the morphologic changes.