Hyperferritinemia in a woman with systemic lupus erythematosus, severe nephritis and an iron-rich intraspinal schwannoma mimicking lupus myelopathy.
We describe a lupus flare in a 59-year-old woman who presented with pancytopenia, nephritis, severe renal dysfunction and marked hyperferritinemia. The course of the disease was further complicated by an iron-laden, intraspinal ancient schwannoma that compressed the cervical cord mimicking a lupus-related myelopathy and was removed surgically. Treatment with mycophenolate mofetil (MMF) and prednisone induced a gradual decline in levels of serum ferritin with a concomitant improvement in renal function and reduction of proteinuria. Serum ferritin may be a useful marker of the response to treatment with MMF in renal lupus.
Conca
W
W
Department of Internal Medicine, United Arab Emirates University, Al Ain, United Arab Emirates. walter.conca@uaeu.ac.ae
Al-Hakim
M
M
Moussa
N
N
Al-Salam
S
S
Corr
P
P
D018501:Antirheumatic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D002574:Cervical Vertebrae; D005260:Female; D005293:Ferritins / Q000097:blood*; D006801:Humans; D008181:Lupus Nephritis / Q000097:blood / Q000150:complications* / Q000188:drug therapy; D008875:Middle Aged; D009173:Mycophenolic Acid / Q000031:analogs & derivatives / Q000627:therapeutic use; D009442:Neurilemmoma / Q000150:complications* / Q000473:pathology*; D011241:Prednisone / Q000627:therapeutic use; D013120:Spinal Cord Neoplasms / Q000150:complications* / Q000473:pathology*
D018501:Antirheumatic Agents; D005293:Ferritins; D009173:Mycophenolic Acid; D011241:Prednisone