Nosocomial Kikuchi's disease - A search for herpesvirus sequences in lymphnode tissues using PCR

Background: Histiocytic necrotizing Lymphadenitis, also known as Kikuchi's disease (KD), is a rare disease. Fever and Lymphadenopathies with character istic pathologic features are present. The etiology of this disease remains undetermined. Since the disorder is self-limiting, different viruses have been implicated as the causative agent. Patients and Methods: Seven cases of KD were studied. Three patients acquir ed the disease nosocomially, three had community-acquired KD and one case w as associated with systemic Lupus erythematosus. PCR was performed on DNA e xtracted from Lymph node tissues in order to detect herpesvirus-specific DN A sequences: herpes simplex virus type 1 and 2 (HSV1-2), varicella tester v irus (VZV), human cytomegalovirus (HCMV), human herpesvirus 6 (HHV6), Epste in-Barr virus (EBV) and human herpesvirus 8 (HHV8). Results: Viral DNA was not detected in any of the Lymph node tissues from t he seven cases of KD. Conclusion: We conclude that these herpesviruses were not involved in the e tiology of the three cases of nosocomial KD, nor in the other four cases of KD investigated in this study.