Clinical, Pathological, Laboratory Characteristics, and Treatment Regimens of Kimura Disease and Their Relationships With Tumor Size and Recurrence

Kimura Disease: A Detailed Analysis of Clinical and Radiological Manifestations in a Retrospective Case Series

Background

Kimura disease (KD) is a rare chronic inflammatory disease that affects mainly young Asian men and is characterized by painless subcutaneous masses, lymphadenopathy, and elevated serum IgE levels. Despite its benign nature, KD poses a diagnostic and therapeutic challenge due to its rarity and clinical variability.

Objective

This study aimed to provide a comprehensive analysis of the clinical and radiological features of KD in a retrospective case series, to assess treatment outcomes, and to discuss the implications for diagnosis and management.

Methods

We retrospectively analyzed four histologically confirmed cases of KD admitted to Zhejiang Provincial People's Hospital from January 2018 to October 2023. Clinical and radiological data were retrospectively analyzed, and imaging findings were analyzed by two neuroradiologists to determine lesion characteristics and contrast enhancement patterns.

Results

Our findings showed that the patients were predominantly male, with a mean age of 43 years and an age range of 13-71 years. All patients presented with painless subcutaneous masses and three of them had peripheral blood eosinophilia and elevated serum IgE levels. Radiographically, the lesions were predominantly ill-defined with heterogeneous enhancement, accompanied by subcutaneous fat atrophy. Complete surgical excision and oral corticosteroids were effective treatments, and no recurrence was noted during follow-up.

Conclusion

KD should be considered in the differential diagnosis of painless subcutaneous masses in the head and neck region, especially in the presence of eosinophilia and elevated IgE levels. Our findings contribute to the understanding of KD's clinical and radiological spectrum and highlight the need for long-term follow-up due to the risk of recurrence.

Stubborn Swellings: A Rare Case of Kimura's Disease Presenting as Parotid Swellings

Kimura disease (KD) is a rare chronic inflammatory disorder characterized by the development of painless subcutaneous nodules, predominantly in the head and neck region. Diagnosis relies on a high index of clinical suspicion and clinicopathological correlation, with core biopsy serving as the gold standard for a definitive diagnosis. While the disease itself is benign, it can cause significant morbidity if left untreated. This case report describes a 48-year-old male who presented with bilateral infraauricular swellings, pruritus, and elevated serum IgE levels along with eosinophilia. Imaging and histopathological correlation confirmed the diagnosis of KD. Combination therapy of corticosteroids and cyclosporine resulted in significant clinical improvement, highlighting the efficacy of the approach while avoiding surgical resection. This case emphasizes the importance of radiologic-pathologic correlation along with the use of serology to effectively diagnose KD, even in atypical presentations.

The clinical and pathological features of Kimura disease in pediatric patients

Background

Kimura disease is characterized by inflammation, with its underlying causes remaining uncertain. There is a lack of comprehensive and systematic research on the pathology of this condition in pediatric patients. Our objective is to study the clinical and pathological attributes of Kimura disease in pediatric patients and investigate the potential diagnostic significance of immunoglobulin E (IgE) in this context.

Methods

Clinical and laboratory information, pathological characteristics, and follow-up data were correlated to examine the distinctive features. Immunohistochemistry, acid-fast staining, and molecular assay were used to identify the presence of IgE and pathogens.

Results

We conducted an analysis of five cases of Kimura disease in pediatric patients at our hospital. The patients' ages ranged from 5 years and 7 months to 14 years and 2 months, with 4 (80%) being male. The most common site was the head and neck region, particularly the postauricular subcutaneous area. Eosinophilia was observed in four patients (80%), and two patients (40%) had elevated serum immunoglobulin E (IgE) levels. Histopathological changes included eosinophilic infiltrates, follicular hyperplasia, and the proliferation of postcapillary venules. Immunohistochemical results supported the reactive nature of the lymphoid process and IgE deposition in the follicle, while no specific pathogens were discovered by special staining. All patients underwent surgical excision, and none experienced recurrence in their original location.

Conclusion

Children with Kimura disease show distinct eosinophilic and IgE alterations in both laboratory findings and pathological features. The application of immunohistochemical staining of IgE could serve as a promising marker for diagnosing Kimura disease.

Challenging diagnosis of Kimura disease in a child with nephrotic syndrome: A case report

Kimura disease (KD) is a rare condition with a challenging diagnosis because it may be misdiagnosed and not differentiated from other disorders. We reported a 13-year-old patient who presented with growing neck masses and was hospitalized due to the nephrotic syndrome relapse but was eventually diagnosed with KD.

Kimura disease in children: A report of 11 cases and review of the literature

INTRODUCTION

Kimura disease (KD), also known as eosinophilic hyperplastic lymphoid granuloma, is a rare benign chronic inflammatory condition, which is featured with the painless progressive mass located in the subcutaneous area of the head and neck region, elevated peripheral blood eosinophils, and raised serum immunoglobulin E (IgE) levels. KD is uncommon in clinical practice, especially with low incidence in children, so it often leads to misdiagnosis or missed diagnosis in pediatric patients.

METHODS

The clinical data of 11 pediatric patients with KD in the authors' institution were retrospectively analyzed.

RESULTS

There were 11 pediatric patients with KD enrolled in total, including 9 male patients and 2 female patients (sex ratio 4.5:1). The median age at diagnosis stood at 14 years (range 5-18 years), the initial symptoms in all patients included painless subcutaneous masses and focal swelling, the duration of symptoms ranged from 1 month to 10 years, and the average duration was 24.45 months. Six patients had single lesions, and 5 had multiple lesions. The highest proportion of lesion regions were parotid gland (n = 5, 31.3%) and retroauricular (n = 5, 31.3%), followed by cervical lymph nodes (n = 4, 25%), and others (n = 2,12.5; elbow n = 1; back n = 1). The eosinophil absolute count elevated in all patients, ranging from 0.71×10⁹/L to 10.35 ×10⁹/L (normal range 0.02-0.52×10⁹/L). IgE levels were increased in all 7 patients who underwent serum immunoglobulin examination (normal range <100 IU/mL). Three patients received oral corticosteroid treatment while 2 relapsed. Three patients received surgical resection combined with oral corticosteroid treatment, and no patient relapsed. The other 3 patients received surgery and radiotherapy, surgery combined with corticosteroid and cyclosporin and corticosteroid combined with leflunomide respectively, and no patient relapsed.

CONCLUSION

Base on the study, it is found that Kimura disease is rare and may have the atypical symptoms in pediatric patients, combination therapy is recommended to reduce recurrence, and long-term follow-up should be performed.

A Rare Kimura's Disease in the Oral Cavity with Severe Sleep Apnea: Case Report and Literature Review

Kimura's disease (KD) is a rare chronic inflammatory disorder that commonly occurs in Asian males. It mainly presents as painless subcutaneous masses or lymphadenopathy in the head and neck region. The incidence of KD in the oral cavity is quite rare. We reported a rare case of a 53-year-old male who had KD in his soft palate, hard palate and bilateral tonsils associated with severe sleep apnea. This patient underwent radiotherapy and exhibited a good response to the treatment. Throughout the 12-month follow-up period, the patient's condition remained satisfactory. Of the other 14 reviewed cases of KD in the oral cavity, the lesions can occur in the buccal mucosa, hard and soft palate, and mouth floor with specific clinical features. We further summarized their manifestations and treatments in order to guide the future identification and management of KD with lesions in the oral cavity.

Comparison of Clinical Manifestations and Pathology between Kimura Disease and IgG4-Related Disease: A Report of Two Cases and Literature Review

Kimura disease (KD) is a rare, chronic proliferative condition presenting as a subcutaneous mass predominantly located in the head and neck region; it is characterized by eosinophilia and elevated serum IgE levels. IgG4-related disease (IgG4RD) is a fibroinflammatory condition characterized by swelling in single or multiple organs and the infiltration of IgG4 plasma cells. Herein, we presented two cases. Case 1 is a 38-year-old man with a painless mass in his right postauricular region, and Case 2 is a 36-year-old man with painless lymphadenopathy in his bilateral postauricular region. After surgical excision, they showed good recovery with no relapse. Although Cases 1 and 2 shared several overlapping pathological manifestations, there were a few differences that allowed the differentiation of KD and IgG4RD.

Enlarged postauricular nodules in a young South Asian man

We report a 19-year-old South Asian man with progressively enlarging postauricular nodules over a 5-year period, which were eventually treated by surgical resection.