2019 Volume 112 Issue 2 Pages 127-133
Kimura disease (soft eosinophilic granulomatosis) is a chronic inflammatory granulomatous condition characterized by eosinophilic infiltration of the soft tissues. We treated a 40-year-old male patient with steroid-resistant Kimura disease on the left side of the neck by radiotherapy. The patient presented with a mass in the left side of the neck that he had first noticed 5 years earlier. He had received steroid therapy, but developed recurrent disease and was judged as being resistant to steroid therapy. The lesion was irradiated with 30 Gy, in five-weekly fractions of 2 Gy. After radiotherapy, complete remission of the lesion was observed, with improvements in both the peripheral blood eosinophil count and the serum IgE level. Neither lesion recurrence, nor delayed complications were detected up to 5 years after the radiotherapy. This case indicates that radiotherapy is an effective treatment option for Kimura disease. However, careful follow-up and informed consent for the treatment are necessary.