Systemic lupus erythematosus in males: a retrospective study with a review of the literature.
OBJECTIVE
To delineate the clinical pattern of a cohort of male patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and compare it with previously reported data.


METHODS
Retrospective review of hospital records.


METHODS
Male patients (n = 11) who were diagnosed with SLE and admitted to a 500-bed university hospital between 1990 and 1998. Eight of the men were African-American and three were Latino. The mean age was 36 years (range, 29-46).


METHODS
Clinical and laboratory data were collected according to a well-established protocol. Imaging and invasive studies (including aspirations and biopsies) were also recorded.


RESULTS
Nine of the patients (82%) had renal involvement, with five needing dialysis within a year of presentation. Five patients had neurologic involvement: two presented with psychosis and three with seizures. Eight patients had hematologic involvement, and seven had serosal and articular involvement. Cutaneous lesions (discoid lupus) were noted in only one patient. A majority of the patients were noncompliant and were lost to follow-up; therefore, ultimate outcome could not be clearly delineated.


CONCLUSIONS
Renal, serosal, neurologic, articular, and hematologic involvement occurred frequently in our sample of male patients with SLE. The most striking finding was the high frequency of renal involvement with poor prognosis. A high index of suspicion for SLE in males may permit earlier diagnosis and may dictate the need for more aggressive therapy.
Department of Medicine, Our Lady of Mercy Medical Center, 600 E 233rd St, Bronx, NY 10466-2697, USA.
R D
RD
Poduval
S
S
Bananian
K S
KS
Kumar
B
B
Fomberstein
D006801:Humans; D008180:Lupus Erythematosus, Systemic / Q000175:diagnosis*; D008297:Male; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012737:Sex Factors