Lupus Pneumonitis Masquerading as Community Acquired Pneumonia and Pulmonary Tuberculosis: A Case Report

    October 2025 in “ International journal of research and scientific innovation ”
    Mateus Pinheiro, Charlotte Hall, Denise Leite Maia Monteiro, Nélson Monteiro, T.A.G.J. Ribeiro
    Image of study
    TLDR Lupus pneumonitis can be misdiagnosed as pneumonia or tuberculosis, so consider lupus in similar cases for proper treatment.
    This case report discusses a 43-year-old female with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) who was initially misdiagnosed with community-acquired pneumonia and pulmonary tuberculosis due to overlapping symptoms in a TB-endemic region. Despite treatment with antibiotics and anti-tubercular therapy, her condition did not improve, leading to further investigation that confirmed lupus pneumonitis (LP) through positive anti-nuclear antibodies, ds-DNA, and CT findings. Treatment with corticosteroids resulted in significant improvement. The report highlights the diagnostic challenges of SLE and LP, particularly in resource-limited settings, and stresses the importance of considering SLE in differential diagnoses to prevent inappropriate treatments.
    Discuss this study in the Community →