Unusual Case Presentation of Systemic Lupus Erythematosus in a Young Woman
October 2022
in “
Rheumato
”
TLDR A young woman with severe symptoms was diagnosed with SLE and improved significantly after treatment.
A 25-year-old woman presented with severe symptoms including dyspnea, fever, chest and abdominal pain, and significant hair loss, which led to an emergency diagnosis of Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE) after ruling out other diseases. Despite the rarity, her initial presentation included cardiac tamponade and acute peritonitis with ascites. Treatment with methylprednisolone, azathioprine, and hydroxychloroquine resulted in dramatic improvement, and she was symptom-free with normal lab tests after three months. This case highlights that although rare, such severe initial presentations of SLE can occur.
