Kimura＇s disease misdiagnosed as lymphoma: a case report and literature review

Objective To investigate the clinical characteristics of Kimura＇s disease,in order to improve clinicians＇ understanding of the disease. Methods This paper reported the clinical data of a patient who was misdiagnosed as lymphoma at first and later confirmed as Kimura＇s disease by pathological biopsy, and the literature at home and abroad was reviewed. Results In this case, a 74 year old male presented with a simple painless subcutaneous mass on the left cheek. The eosinophil count slightly increased and shrank after hormone therapy. Plain MRI of the face showed mixed signal shadow in the left parotid gland area, considering space-occupying lesions. The primary consideration was lymphoma, and the postoperative pathological diagnosis was Kimura＇s disease. Conclusions The possibility of Kimura＇s disease should be considered when the patient has a painless head and neck subcutaneous mass, coupled with increased eosinophil count and elevated serum IgE. The CT and MRI examination of the mass is needed for clarification. If necessary, biopsy of mass should be performed to confirm the diagnosis.