title: Initial presentation of acute transverse myelitis in systemic lupus erythematosus: demographics, diagnosis, management and comparison to idiopathic cases.
abstract: To describe and compare the diagnosis, demographics and management of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) related versus idiopathic acute transverse myelitis during the initial presentation of the disease. We undertook a chart review of the hospital records of patients admitted to our hospital from 1994 until 2007 and had the diagnosis of SLE related and idiopathic acute transverse myelitis. Demographics, laboratory and imaging studies, diagnosis and treatment were recorded in both groups and analyzed in a case control fashion. We identified 15 patients with SLE-related acute transverse myelitis (SLE-ATM) and 39 idiopathic (I-ATM) cases between 1994 and 2007. Patients with SLE were more likely to be African American, have CNS demyelinating lesions on MRI, a high IgG% on their CSF analysis and a higher sedimentation rate on presentation. Treatment with high-dose steroids was instituted in both groups of patients, though SLE patients had a longer hospital stay by an average of 5 days. SLE-ATM patients were more likely to be African American as compared to I-ATM patients, have CNS demyelinating lesions on MRI, a high IgG% on CSF analysis and a higher sedimentation rate on presentation. The hospital stay for SLE patients was 5 days longer than the idiopathic patients. This study underlines the importance of early diagnosis of patients who develop ATM related to SLE.
authors.affiliation: Division of Rheumatology, Thomas Jefferson University, 613 Curtis Bldg, 1015 Walnut Street, Philadelphia, PA 19107, USA.
authors.forename: Steffan W
authors.initials: SW
authors.lastname: Schulz
authors.forename: Max
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Shenin
authors.forename: Amy
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Mehta
authors.forename: Amal
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kebede
authors.forename: Marshall
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Fluerant
authors.forename: Chris T
authors.initials: CT
authors.lastname: Derk
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001741:Black or African American / Q000208:ethnology; D000368:Aged; D001799:Blood Sedimentation; D003710:Demography; D003711:Demyelinating Diseases / Q000473:pathology; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D019468:Disease Management; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007074:Immunoglobulin G / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid; D008180:Lupus Erythematosus, Systemic / Q000150:complications*; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009188:Myelitis, Transverse / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000208:ethnology; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013256:Steroids / Q000627:therapeutic use; D044465:White People / Q000208:ethnology
chemical_list: D007074:Immunoglobulin G; D013256:Steroids