title: Systemic lupus erythematosus presenting as fulminant lupus pneumonitis: a rare case report.
abstract: We report a case of 19 year-old female patient diagnosed as systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) presented with fever and diffuse cutaneous lesions. During the hospital stay she had acute pneumonia, pleural effusion and respiratory failure, which required intensive care unit (ICU) care and mechanical ventilator support. A fulminant course of the disease, decreased values of complement levels and positive antinuclear antibodies (ANA) in pleural fluid and repeated negative sputum for acid-fast bacillus, blood cultures enabled diagnosis of fulminant lupus pneumonitis. Fulminant lupus pneumonitis is a rare but potentially life threatening complication of SLE. Management requires involvement of multiple specialties and rigorous efforts in reviving the patient.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, Pt. B.D. Sharma University of Health Sciences, Rohtak. hariaggarwal@rediffmail.com.
authors.forename: H K
authors.initials: HK
authors.lastname: Aggarwal
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Jain
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Mittal
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Rao
authors.forename: R K
authors.initials: RK
authors.lastname: Yadav
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Jain
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D017809:Fatal Outcome; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007362:Intensive Care Units; D008180:Lupus Erythematosus, Systemic / Q000097:blood / Q000150:complications* / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000628:therapy; D010996:Pleural Effusion / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000209:etiology*; D011014:Pneumonia / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000209:etiology*; D012121:Respiration, Artificial; D012131:Respiratory Insufficiency / Q000209:etiology