[A case of subacute necrotizing lymphadenitis with recurrent aseptic meningitis associated with persistent high titer of anti-nuclear antibody occurring over a short period of time].

A 35-year-old woman developed recurrent aseptic meningitis three times over a period of 16 months. Each episode followed swelling of her cervical lymph nodes. During the third episode, microscopic findings of biopsied specimens from a cervical lymph node indicated subacute necrotizing lymphadenitis (SNL). While she responded poorly to NSAIDs, steroids rapidly improved her fever, headache and swollen lymph nodes. Since the first episode, anti-nuclear antibody (ANA) and anti-SS-A antibody was positive and the titer of ANA increased with each episode. SNL is a benign and self-limited disease, and the appearance of autoantibodies is usually transient. It is possible that a persistent immune abnormality is related to recurrences of aseptic meningitis with SNL.