Histiocytic necrotizing lymphadenitis (HNL) or Kikuchi´s disease is a distinctive, self-limited disorder
characterized by necrotizing cervical lymphadenopathy in young individuals. HNL is more prevalent among
Asians and is a relatively common disorder among Koreans. A preceding fever, lymphopenia, and occasional
skin rashes suggest a viral etiology and there have been sporadic reports of viral association. However,
so far, no infectious agent has been proven to be etiologically related. In the present study, the authors
examined HNL tissue samples for the presence of the genome of herpesviridae. A polymerase chain reaction
was performed on 12 freshly frozen lymph nodes with HNL with a single pair of consensus primers selected
within a highly conserved region of the DNA polymerase gene of the Epstein-Barr virus (EBV), designed to
detect herpes simplex type 1 (HSV1), herpes simplex virus type 2 (HSV2), and cytomegalovirus (CMV) in
addition to EBV. The amplified products of known sizes were then analyzed by a single restriction enzyme
treatment for confirmation. No viral DNA was amplified in any of the 12 cases of histiocytic necrotizing
lymphadenitis. The authors conclude that there is no evidence that HSV1, HSV2, CMV, or EBV plays any role
in the pathogenesis of histiocytic necrotizing lymphadenitis.
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