STUDY OF CLINICAL FEATURES AND OUTCOME OF CHILDHOOD SYSTEMIC LUPUS ERYTHEMATOSUS

Dr. Sudhir Mehta*

ABSTRACT

Introduction: Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is a chronic immunologic disorder with multisystem manifestations. Objective of this study was to explore clinico-laboratory manifestations and management of SLE in children. Materials and Methods: The study was hospital based study conducted from 2011 to 2015. Medical charts of all children and adolescent (5- 16years of age) with SLE admitted in hospital were reviewed for analysis of data. Results: The total number of patients was 23, with 18 girls and 5 boys. The mean age of diagnosis was 11.13±1.78. Facial puffiness and arthralgia were the commonest presentations at disease onset. The most frequent clinical features during the entire course of illness were edema (80%), anemia (78%) and fever (68%). Twenty patients underwent renal biopsy in which class IV was the commonest lupus nephritis. The commonly used drugs after prednisolone were intravenous cyclophosphamide, intravenouse methylprednisolone. Total 14 patients went into remission. One patient died due to active lupus and three due to sepsis. Conclusion: Lupus nephritis was the commonest feature at disease onset, at the time of diagnosis and throughout the disease course among children with SLE. The most frequently used medications were prednisolone and iv cyclophosphamide.

Keywords: Childhood systemic lupus erythematosus, Lupus nephritis, ANA.