A Case Report of Male Systemic Lupus Erythematosus with Antinuclear Antibodies-Negative: A Challenging Diagnosis
March 2022
in “
Korean Journal of Family Medicine
”
TLDR Doctors should consider SLE in males even if antinuclear antibody tests are negative.
Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is a connective tissue disease that mainly affects women, but this case report discusses a male patient with SLE who tested negative for antinuclear antibodies. The patient exhibited symptoms such as multiple skin lesions, joint pain, fatigue, anorexia, and hair loss. Diagnosing SLE in males and antinuclear antibody-negative patients is challenging due to its lower prevalence in these groups. The report emphasizes the importance of primary care doctors maintaining a high suspicion for SLE in such cases to enable early treatment and improve patient quality of life.