A Rare Presentation of Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE) With Hemoptysis and Hematuria: A Case Report

• Published in: Curēus (Palo Alto, CA) Vol. 16; no. 5; p. e61161
• Main Authors: Singh, Gurjot, Antil, Priya, Goswami, Kanishka, Ratnani, Tanya, Puri, Piyush
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Cureus Inc 27-05-2024; Cureus
• Subjects: Antibodies; Apheresis; Biochemistry; Biopsy; Blood pressure; Case reports; Creatinine; Dehydrogenases; Disease; Dyspnea; Emergency medical care; Hematology; Hematuria; Hemoglobin; Hemoptysis; Internal Medicine; Kidneys; Leukocytes; Lupus; Lymphocytes; Medical imaging; Mortality; Neutrophils; Potassium; Pulmonary arteries; Pulmonology; Rheumatology; Steroids; United States > US; hematuria; genetics; diffuse alveolar hemorrhage; hemoptysis; good pasture syndrome; hemodialysis; systemic steroids; sle; pulmonary critical care; sle and lupus nephritis
• ISSN: 2168-8184; 2168-8184
• DOI: 10.7759/cureus.61161

Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is an autoimmune disease characterized by type II and type III hypersensitivity reactions that affect multiple organs, including the joints, heart, lungs, brain, skin, and kidneys. Patients with SLE can experience a range of symptoms, ranging from fever and joint pain to a distinctive butterfly facial rash. Severe complications may encompass conditions such as diffuse alveolar hemorrhage (DAH), pulmonary hypertension, and lupus nephritis, among others. Among them, DAH, a critical pulmonary complication in SLE, involves bleeding from interstitial capillaries and alveoli due to immune complex damage. This case report describes a patient who was initially misdiagnosed but later confirmed to have SLE. The patient presented with persistent symptoms, including cough, dyspnea, and fever, over two weeks and subsequently developed hematuria and hemoptysis within the last two days. The progression of symptoms led to an acute exacerbation, resulting in her admission to the emergency department. Subsequent evaluations confirmed the diagnosis of lupus nephritis and DAH. This case highlights the importance of considering SLE in the differential diagnosis of unexplained systemic symptoms and underscores the urgent need for medical intervention in DAH to substantially reduce mortality.