Identification of Torque Teno Virus/Torque Teno-Like Minivirus in the Cervical Lymph Nodes of Kikuchi-Fujimoto Lymphadenitis Patients (Histiocytic Necrotizing Lymphadenitis): A Possible Key to Idiopathic Disease.

Abstract

Kikuchi-Fujimoto disease (KFD) is rare, and many infectious agents have been suspected for its etiology. This report presents an interesting case of KFD found with torque teno virus/torque teno minivirus (TTV/TTMV), which closely resembles the circovirus that causes necrotizing lymphadenitis in pigs. Three Korean patients showed several enlarged lymph nodes in their neck. Quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) and subsequent DNA sequencing for TTV/TTMV using formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded tissue were performed. Histologic examination demonstrated typical features of KFD. qPCR showed successful amplification of TTV/TTMV, and DNA sequencing confirmed the results. It is the first report of TTV/TTMV presence in three patients with KFD.