title: The Elusive Diagnosis of Adolescent Systemic Lupus Erythematosus.
abstract: Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is an autoimmune disease affecting multiple systems, and its various symptoms are often mistaken for other diseases. This case report describes a 15-year-old girl who presented to the emergency department with complaints of diffuse abdominal pain, facial swelling, joint pain, low-grade fever, and rash. An initial autoimmune process was suspected, and, with prompt referral, a diagnosis of SLE was confirmed. This case report and discussion review the difficulty of diagnosing SLE and the importance of maintaining autoimmune diseases, such as SLE, on an emergency physician's differential.
authors.affiliation: From the Emergency Medicine Residency Program, Lakeland Health, St. Joseph; Department of Internal Medicine, Michigan State University College of Osteopathic Medicine, East Lansing, MI; and Faculty of Internal Medicine, Chicago College of Osteopathic Medicine, Midwestern University, Downers Grove, IL.
authors.forename: Michelino
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Mancini
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D005076:Exanthema / Q000209:etiology; D005260:Female; D005938:Glucocorticoids / Q000627:therapeutic use; D006801:Humans; D008180:Lupus Erythematosus, Systemic / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000188:drug therapy
chemical_list: D005938:Glucocorticoids