Myelopathy in neonatal and infantile lupus erythematosus.
Two children with lupus erythematosus and myelopathy were studied. The first child developed the neonatal lupus erythematosus syndrome associated with transplacentally acquired anti-Ro/SSA antibodies. The cutaneous manifestations of neonatal lupus erythematosus disappeared but a residual myelopathy was confirmed at 16 months of age. The second child developed cutaneous lupus erythematosus at 3 months of age associated with a total deficiency of the Clr component of complement. A myelopathy and mesangial glomerulonephritis developed at 2 years of age which required treatment with corticosteroids. These two children with CNS lupus erythematosus, one associated with transplacentally acquired antibodies and the other associated with a complement deficiency, may suggest an immune-mediated mechanism for the pathogenesis of myelopathy in childhood lupus erythematosus.
D000974:Antibodies, Antinuclear / Q000032:analysis; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008178:Lupus Erythematosus, Cutaneous / Q000150:complications* / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology; D008297:Male; D009135:Muscular Diseases / Q000150:complications*
D000974:Antibodies, Antinuclear