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Abstract Background Asian medical students and doctors receive lower scores on average than their white counterparts in examinations in the UK and internationally (a phenomenon known as “differential attainment”). This could be due to examiner bias or to social, psychological or cultural influences on learning or performance. We investigated whether students’ scores or feedback show influence of ethnicity-related bias; whether examiners unconsciously bring to mind (activate) stereotypes when judging Asian students’ performance; whether activation depends on the stereotypicality of students’ performances; and whether stereotypes influence examiner memories of performances. Methods This is a randomised, double-blinded, controlled, Internet-based trial. We created near-identical videos of medical student performances on a simulated Objective Structured Clinical Exam using British Asian and white British actors. Examiners were randomly assigned to watch performances from white and Asian students that were either consistent or inconsistent with a previously described stereotype of Asian students’ performance. We compared the two examiner groups in terms of the following: the scores and feedback they gave white and Asian students; how much the Asian stereotype was activated in their minds (response times to Asian-stereotypical vs neutral words in a lexical decision task); and whether the stereotype influenced memories of student performances (recognition rates for real vs invented stereotype-consistent vs stereotype-inconsistent phrases from one of the videos). Results Examiners responded to Asian-stereotypical words (716 ms, 95% confidence interval (CI) 702–731 ms) faster than neutral words (769 ms, 95% CI 753–786 ms, p

Kikuchi-Fujimoto disease, or histiocytic necrotising lymphadenopathy of unknown aetiology, is a rare, benign and self-limiting cause of lymphadenopathy often involving the cervical nodes, and rarely presenting with mesenteric lymphadenopathy. We present a 26-year-old Caucasian male, who presented with right iliac fossa pain and low grade pyrexia, mimicking acute appendicitis. He underwent a laparatomy and an extended right hemi-colectomy for a caecal mass. Histology of the specimen showed lymph nodes with extensive areas of necrosis, with abnormal architecture suggesting Kikuchi-Fujimoto lymphadenopathy. This was further confirmed by immunohistochemistry. In this context maintenance of a high index of suspicion of this condition can avoid major surgical interventions. We describe the management of our case of Kikuchi-Fujimoto’s disease involving the mesenteric nodes and provide an up to date review of the pertinent literature on this subject. Keywords: abdominal mass; Kikuchi- Fujimoto disease; mesenteric lymphadenopathy; necrotising lymphadenitis.

Kikuchi-Fujimoto disease, or histiocytic necrotising lymphadenopathy of unknown aetiology, is a rare, benign and self-limiting cause of lymphadenopathy often involving the cervical nodes, and rarely presenting with mesenteric lymphadenopathy. We present a 26-year-old Caucasian male, who presented with right iliac fossa pain and low grade pyrexia, mimicking acute appendicitis. He underwent a laparatomy and an extended right hemi-colectomy for a caecal mass. Histology of the specimen showed lymph nodes with extensive areas of necrosis, with abnormal architecture suggesting Kikuchi-Fujimoto lymphadenopathy. This was further confirmed by immunohistochemistry. In this context maintenance of a high index of suspicion of this condition can avoid major surgical interventions. We describe the management of our case of Kikuchi-Fujimoto’s disease involving the mesenteric nodes and provide an up to date review of the pertinent literature on this subject. Keywords: abdominal mass; Kikuchi- Fujimoto disease; mesenteric lymphadenopathy; necrotising lymphadenitis.