Nephrotic syndrome during the tapering of oral steroids after pathological diagnosis of Kimura disease from a lacrimal gland mass: case report and review of 10 Japanese patients

Spontaneous regression and rare relapse after excisional biopsy in long-term observation of 31 patients with primary conjunctival lymphoma

To elucidate long-term outcome in primary conjunctival lymphoma, a review was conducted of 31 consecutive patients: 21 men and 10 women with an age range of 28 to 85 (median, 61) years at presentation and follow-up periods ranging from 1 to 19 (median, 7) years. Conjunctival lymphoma was on the right side in 10 patients, on the left side in 12, and on both sides in 9. Upper, lower, or both fornix lesions in 28 patients were all diagnosed as extranodal marginal zone B-cell lymphoma of mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue (MALT lymphoma), while thick nasal bulbar conjunctival lesions in 3 patients were differently diagnosed as MALT lymphoma, diffuse large B-cell lymphoma, and follicular lymphoma, respectively. Seven patients underwent local radiation (30 Gy): as initial treatment in 5 patients and treatment for relapse in 2 patients. The remaining 24 patients were observed without additional treatment after excisional biopsy: 5 of these 24 patients showed relapse 0.5 to 6 years later and underwent excisional biopsy again that revealed MALT lymphoma. Of the 5 patients with relapse, only one with second-time relapse underwent radiation. Fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography was performed in 18 patients and showed no systemic lesions: high uptake was noted in the residual conjunctival lesions of 4 patients and in the relapsed conjunctival lesions of 3 patients. One patient died of rectal cancer while no patients died of lymphoma. Observation is an option in patients with primary conjunctival lymphoma after excisional biopsy. Radiation is a treatment option in the case of relapse.

Risk of Nephritis and Recurrence in Kimura Disease: A Retrospective Study

Background

Kimura disease (KD) presents a diagnostic challenge to clinicians because of its rarity and atypical symptoms in its early stages, and it is difficult to treat and prone to recurrence or involvement of other organs.

Aims and Objectives

This study aims to investigate the possible relevance of renal involvement and recurrence by analysing the clinical presentations, laboratory results, histopathological features, therapeutic data and follow-up results of KD.

Materials and Methods

A total of 27 patients diagnosed as KD in two hospitals from January 1999 to December 2021 were analysed retrospectively in this study based on the diagnosis of histopathology.

Results

KD mainly affected male more than female (8:1) with the onset age ranging from 3 to 58 years (median 29.8 years). The common initial symptoms included subcutaneous soft tissue or lymph node enlargement, non-specific skin lesions and proteinuria. One patient presented cough and expectoration as the first symptoms. KD patients often had high levels of serum immunoglobulin E (IgE) and basophils, which exhibited a significantly positive correlation with renal involvement and recurrence (p < 0.05). Early mass resection could prevent the development of nephritis and decrease the risk of relapse (p < 0.05).

Conclusion

KD should be noted in patients presenting with intractable and relapsing atopic skin lesions and (or) subcutaneous mass. Patients with high levels of serum IgE and blood basophils may be prone to developing KD-associated nephritis and predict a high risk of recurrence. Early surgical removal of the mass may result in a better prognosis.

A case of minimal change nephrotic syndrome complicated by Kimura disease treated with rituximab

Kimura disease (eosinophilic granuloma of the soft tissue) is a benign granulomatous disease complicated by nephrotic syndrome. Herein, we report a case of recurrent minimal change nephrotic syndrome (MCNS) complicated by Kimura disease that was successfully treated with rituximab. A 57-year-old man presented to our hospital with relapsed nephrotic syndrome with worsening swelling of the right anterior ear and elevated serum IgE. MCNS was diagnosed on renal biopsy. Treatment with 50 mg of prednisolone rapidly placed the patient in remission. Therefore, RTX 375 mg/m2 was added to the treatment regimen, and steroid therapy was tapered. Early steroid tapering was successful, and the patient is currently in remission. In this case, the nephrotic syndrome flare-up was accompanied by worsening Kimura disease. Rituximab reduced the worsening of symptoms related to Kimura disease, including head and neck lymphadenopathy and elevated IgE levels. Kimura disease and MCNS may share a common IgE-mediated type I allergic condition. Rituximab effectively treats these conditions. In addition, rituximab suppresses Kimura disease activity in patients with MCNS, enables early tapering of steroids, and reduces the total dose of steroids.

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.

Kimura Disease of the Periorbita and Earlobe in a 15-Year-Old Male: A Case Report and Review of the Literature

PURPOSE

The authors describe a case of Kimura disease (KD) affecting the lacrimal gland, the ipsilateral periorbita, and the contralateral earlobe. The authors also review the literature for characteristics and outcomes of KD affecting the periorbita or earlobe.

METHODS

The authors review retrospectively a single chart and abstract data from the English language literature.

RESULTS

A 15-year-old Samoan male presented with a left upper eyelid mass and later the contralateral earlobe and ipsilateral periorbita. Surgical resection was partially effective and normal vision and eye motility were maintained. Histopathology was consistent with KD. Thirty-seven cases of periorbital KD were identified in the literature. The average age of patients with periorbital KD was 31.9 years (standard deviation: 17.8 years), with 81.1% (30/37) of patients being male and 69.4% (25/36) Asian. Over half of periorbital KD patients had lacrimal gland involvement (51.3%; 19/37). Fifteen patients were initially treated with surgery; 3 (20%) had recurrence of the disease. Another 15 patients were initially treated with corticosteroids; 12 (80%) had recurrence of the disease. Ophthalmologic data, when reported, demonstrated that, most patients had no visual (77.8%; 14/18 patients) or motility disturbances (82.4%; 14/17 patients) but most had proptosis 71.4% (10/14). Only 4 cases of earlobe involvement in KD were identified, all in women.

CONCLUSIONS

In the literature, orbital KD was rare but often affected the lacrimal gland and caused proptosis, commonly in young adult Asian males. Vision and extraocular motility were usually normal. Earlobe involvement was very rare. This unique case of KD that affected the orbit and contralateral earlobe corroborates the prior literature that KD is prone to recurrence but may not adversely affect vision or extraocular motility.

Diffuse Large B-Cell Lymphoma 18 Years After Bilateral Lacrimal Gland IgG4-Related Disease: Case Report and Literature Review

IgG4-related disease is a recently established clinical entity. The disease might serve as the background for later development of systemic lymphoma. This study aims to confirm the diagnosis of IgG4-related disease by re-staining lacrimal gland lesions diagnosed previously with low-grade lymphoma in a patient who developed systemic diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) 18 years later. A 53-year-old man developed bilateral lacrimal gland swelling and right submandibular gland swelling and was diagnosed by excision as low-grade lymphoma. In follow-up, positron emission tomography showed high uptake in the median hyoid 11 years later but no malignancy was detected by laryngeal submucosal biopsy. He was well with no treatment until 18 years later when he had palatal swelling and was diagnosed with DLBCL by oral floor biopsy. He had systemic lymphadenopathy, infiltration in paranasal sinuses, hypopharynx, small intestine, kidney, and prostate. He underwent 8 courses of R-CHOP and 3 courses of high-dose methotrexate and achieved complete remission with no relapse for 1 year thereafter. Re-immunostaining of paraffin blocks of bilateral lacrimal gland lesions showed IgG and IgG4-positive lymphocytes and plasma cells among lymphoid follicles separated by fibrous bundles, with 10 or more IgG4-positive cells in high-power field. The IgG4/IgG-positive cell ratio was 100% and the number of κ chain-positive cells and λ chain-positive cells was the same. The bilateral lacrimal lesions were thus re-diagnosed as IgG4-related disease. In conclusion, systemic DLBCL occurred approximately 20 years after lacrimal gland IgG4-related disease. Literature review revealed 12 patients with IgG4-related disease, including the present patient, who later developed lymphoma in the other organs.

Follow-up with serum IgG4-monitoring in 8 patients with IgG4-related disease diagnosed by a lacrimal gland mass

The diagnostic criteria for IgG4-related disease were previously published and serum IgG4 measurement has been reimbursed by national health insurance in Japan since 2012. Eight patients diagnosed with IgG4-related disease based on lacrimal gland masses were retrospectively reviewed. The 8 patients were 3 men and 5 women ranging in age from 52 to 77 (median, 63) years at the initial visit and their follow-up period ranged from 0.25 to 11 (median, 7) years. Bilateral and unilateral involvement were noted in 4 patients each; 2 on the right side and 2 on the left side in those with unilateral involvement. Serum IgG4 was high in 5 of 8 patients at the initial visit. Five patients with no systemic signs were followed without treatment, whereas oral steroids were administered and tapered in the other 3 patients who exhibited systemic signs. One patient with a history of radiation for MALT lymphoma in bilateral lacrimal glands developed IgG4-related disease in the left lacrimal gland 10 years later and was followed without treatment. Nine years later, her serum IgG4 level increased to 1500 mg/dL and paracardiac lesions, found on positron emission tomography, were confirmed to be MALT lymphoma by needle biopsy, leading to systemic chemotherapy. The other 7 patients had neither local recurrence nor additional systemic signs. Serum IgG4 monitoring may be useful to detect systemic complications in IgG4-related ophthalmic disease and markedly high serum IgG4 levels may indicate new lymphoma at other sites.

Kimura's disease with recurrent bilateral lacrimal gland involvement in a male Japanese child successfully treated with cyclosporine A

Background

Kimura’s disease (KD) is a rare chronic inflammatory disease of unknown etiology. Clinically, KD is characterized by nodular subcutaneous masses, that are typically localized to the neck and head. Involvement of the lacrimal glands and limbs is uncommon and seldom reported.

Case presentation

We report a case of a 4-year-old Japanese boy presenting with bilateral upper eyelid swelling with nodular subcutaneous lesions and peripheral eosinophilia. Based on clinical, histopathological, and laboratory findings, the patient was diagnosed with KD. An itchy subcutaneous mass on the left arm developed at the age of 14 years. Treatment with steroids was effective. However, as the steroids were tapered after the patient developed side effects, the masses relapsed within a few months. Treatment with cyclosporine A was then initiated, which led to an improvement of clinical features and serial levels of cytokines.

Conclusions

We report a rare case of KD with a peculiar clinical presentation. The patient responded well to treatment with cyclosporine A.

Kimura's disease mimicking thoracic spine dumbbell neurogenic tumor: a case report and literature review

Background

Kimura’s disease is a rare, benign chronic inflammatory disease of unknown etiology that mostly affects Asians. The disease typically presents as subcutaneous masses in the head or neck region that are predominantly found in the preauricular and submandibular areas.

Case presentation

A 7-year-old boy presenting with paralysis of both lower extremities and a thoracic spine dumbbell mass was initially diagnosed with a neurogenic tumor, but the pathological and laboratory examinations confirmed the diagnosis of Kimura’s disease. The paralysis symptom disappeared rapidly, but the patient had developed a recurrent mass in the cervical vertebral canal at the 9-month follow-up.

Conclusion

To our knowledge, no prior published literature has revealed Kimura’s disease cases that mimic dumbbell neurogenic tumors. Here, we report such a case of Kimura’s disease for the first time and provide a brief review of the literature.

Radiomics Based on CECT in Differentiating Kimura Disease From Lymph Node Metastases in Head and Neck: A Non-Invasive and Reliable Method

Background: Kimura disease may be easily misdiagnosed as malignant tumors such as lymph node metastases based on imaging and clinical symptoms. The aim of this article is to investigate whether the radiomic features and the model based on the features on venous-phase contrast-enhanced CT (CECT) images can distinguish Kimura disease from lymph node metastases in the head and neck.

Methods: A retrospective analysis of 14 patients of head and neck Kimura disease (a total of 38 enlarged lymph nodes) and 39 patients with head and neck lymph node metastases (a total of 39 enlarged lymph nodes), confirmed by biopsy or surgery resection, was conducted. All patients accepted CECT within 10 days before biopsy or surgery resection. Radiomic features based on venous-phase CECT were generated automatically from Artificial-Intelligence Kit (AK) software. All lymph nodes were randomly divided into the training set (n = 54) and testing set (n = 23) in a ratio of 7:3. ANOVA + Mann–Whitney, Spearman correlation, least absolute shrinkage and selection operator, and Gradient Descent were introduced for the reduction of the highly redundant features. Binary logistic regression model was constructed based on the selected features. Receiver operating characteristic was used to evaluate the diagnostic performance of the features and the model. Finally, a nomogram was established for model application.

Results: Seven features were screened out at the end. Significant difference was found between the two groups for all the features with area under the curves (AUCs) ranging from 0.759 to 0.915. The AUC of the model's identification performance was 0.970 in the training group and 0.977 in the testing group. The disease discrimination efficiency of the model was better than that of any single feature.

Conclusions: The radiomic features and the model based on these features on venous-phase CECT images had very good performance for the discrimination between Kimura disease and lymph node metastases in the head and neck.

Eosinophilia and Kidney Disease: More than Just an Incidental Finding?

Peripheral blood eosinophilia (PBE), defined as 500 eosinophils or above per microliter (µL) blood, is a condition that is not uncommon but often neglected in the management of patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD), acute kidney injury (AKI), or patients on renal replacement therapy (RRT). The nature of PBE in the context of kidney diseases is predominantly secondary or reactive and has to be distinguished from primary eosinophilic disorders. Nonetheless, the finding of persistent PBE can be a useful clue for the differential diagnosis of underdiagnosed entities and overlapping syndromes, such as eosinophilic granulomatosis with polyangiitis (EGPA), IgG4-related disease (IgG4-RD), acute interstitial nephritis (AIN), or the hypereosinophilic syndrome (HES). For patients on RRT, PBE may be an indicator for bio-incompatibility of the dialysis material, acute allograft rejection, or Strongyloides hyperinfection. In a subset of patients with EGPA, eosinophils might even be the driving force in disease pathogenesis. This improved understanding is already being used to facilitate novel therapeutic options. Mepolizumab has been licensed for the management of EGPA and is applied with the aim to abrogate the underlying immunologic process by blocking interleukin-5. The current article provides an overview of different renal pathologies that are associated with PBE. Further scientific effort is required to understand the exact role and function of eosinophils in these disorders which may pave the way to improved interdisciplinary management of such patients.

Computerized tomography features and clinicopathological analysis of Kimura disease in head and neck

The aim of the current study was to discuss and analyze computerized tomography (CT) features and clinicopathological characteristics of patients with Kimura disease in head and neck. CT and clinicopathological data of 12 patients with Kimura disease diagnosed between May 2011 and May 2015 were analyzed. The mean age was 43.9 years and the disease course varied from 1 week-20 years. The mean absolute value of eosinophil granulocytes was 1.95×10⁹/l. Multiple nodules were detected in 4 patients with Kimura disease. Main symptoms included multiple enlarged lymph nodes in neck and submaxillary regions. CT imaging of nodular lesions revealed a clear boundary, with moderate to marked homogeneous enhancement. Diffuse mass lesions were observed in 6 patients with Kimura disease. Main symptoms included subcutaneous diffuse soft tissue mass in parotid gland and maxillofacial regions. CT imaging of diffuse mass revealed unclear boundaries, adjacent skin thickness and moderate heterogeneous enhancement. In some cases, the diffuse mass involved soft mass with unclear boundaries. Pathological symptoms of Kimura disease included infiltration of eosinophilia, lymphocytic proliferation, formation of lymphatic follicles and variable degrees of fibrosis and vascular proliferation. Diagnosis of Kimura disease in head and neck regions may be improved based on lesions with clear or unclear boundaries, homogeneous or heterogeneous enhancement, with or without lymphadenectasis and by the presence of peripheral blood eosinophilia. However, a final diagnosis relies on a pathological examination.