A Case Report of Rosai Dorfman Disease With Nodal and Cutaneous Involvement: A Rare but Important Disease

Abstract

Cervical lymphadenopathy is a very common symptom in children seeking treatment at primary health care facilities. It is typically observed following viral or bacterial infection and, in most cases, resolved after treatment of the infection is completed. It may cause concern among parents especially if lymphadenopathy persists for several months. There are many possible causes for this serious condition, such as malignancy and tuberculosis infections. One of the differential diagnoses of this problem is Rosai-Dorfman disease (RDD). It is a rare disease, a subtype of non-Langerhans cell histiocytosis disorder which can only be diagnosed histologically. This case report presented a four-year-old boy with multiple cervical lymphadenopathies that persisted for months and associated with extra nodal skin lesion. The diagnosis was made histologically by ultrasound guided fine needle aspiration cytology (FNAC) of the enlarged cervical lymph node. He was treated with prednisolone syrup and the lymphadenopathy resolved after one month. This case highlights the importance of considering rare differentials like Rosai-Dorfman disease in persistent lymphadenopathy with unresolving skin lesions to facilitate early diagnosis, appropriate referral, and reduce patient and caregiver burden.