Tuberculosis Lymphadenitis With Systemic Lupus Erythematosus in a Young Woman: A Case Report
June 2023
in “
F1000Research
”
TLDR A young woman with lupus developed tuberculosis due to weakened immunity from her medication, showing the need for better TB screening in such patients.
The case report presents a 21-year-old female with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) who developed tuberculosis lymphadenitis while on immunosuppressive therapy. The patient experienced symptoms like a neck lump, fever, appetite loss, weight loss, joint pain, hair loss, and sun sensitivity. After treatment with antituberculosis drugs, her neck lump size reduced. The report concludes that tuberculosis lymphadenitis can occur in SLE patients due to decreased immunity, potentially worsened by long-term immunosuppressive therapy. It highlights the need for increased tuberculosis awareness in SLE patients and improved screening and preventive therapy for latent tuberculosis. The risk of TB infection in SLE patients on immunosuppressant therapy is 7 times higher than the general population.
