title: Systemic lupus erythematosus in children with sickle cell disease.
abstract: Coexistence of sickle cell disease (SCD) and systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) has been reported in 11 patients. The authors describe five additional patients with SCD and symptoms initially attributable to SCD who were later found to have SLE. Patients were identified over a 10-year period (1991-2001) in a pediatric sickle cell population numbering approximately 350. All patients are African-American. Age at diagnosis of SLE was 9 to 17 years (median 11 years), and follow-up after diagnosis ranged from 6 months to 10 years (median 3 years). SLE cerebritis (n = 3), serositis (n = 4), and nephritis (n = 2) were common findings. Physicians should be alerted to the possible development of SLE in patients with SCD.
authors.affiliation: Division of Pediatric Hematology Oncology, State University of New York-Downstate Medical Center/Kings County Hospital Center, Brooklyn, New York 11203, USA.
authors.forename: Vinay Raj
authors.initials: VR
authors.lastname: Saxena
authors.forename: Rina
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Mina
authors.forename: Hamid J
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Moallem
authors.forename: Sreedhar P
authors.initials: SP
authors.lastname: Rao
authors.forename: Scott T
authors.initials: ST
authors.lastname: Miller
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D017668:Age of Onset; D000755:Anemia, Sickle Cell / Q000150:complications*; D044383:Black People; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008180:Lupus Erythematosus, Systemic / Q000209:etiology* / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D001741:Black or African American