title: Human parvovirus B19 infection mimicking systemic lupus erythematosus in an adult patient.
abstract: We report a case of widespread immune activation with moderate cytopenia during acute infection with human parvovirus B19 in an adult female patient, in whom five criteria for the diagnosis of systemic lupus erythematosus were present at disease onset. Our case is unusual due to the presence of a cutaneous rash mimicking leukocytoclastic vasculitis at presentation, moderate leukopenia with thrombocytopenia and the presence of a broad array of autoantibodies. Diagnosis was established on the grounds of serological tests confirming recent infection with human parvovirus B19; spontaneous regression of clinical and laboratory abnormalities was observed within 16 weeks, ruling out classic systemic lupus erythematosus. We conclude by proposing that human parvovirus B19 infection should be included in the differential diagnosis of lupus-like syndromes in adult patients.
authors.affiliation: II Divisione di Medicina Interna, Azienda Ospedaliera Arcispedale S. Maria Nuova di Reggio Emilia.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Negro
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Regolisti
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Perazzoli
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Coghi
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Tumiati
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Rossi
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D016731:Erythema Infectiosum / Q000175:diagnosis*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008180:Lupus Erythematosus, Systemic / Q000175:diagnosis*; D016732:Parvovirus B19, Human