All issues > Volume 33(2); 1990

Original Article

J Korean Pediatr Soc. 1990;33(2):264-273. Published online February 28, 1990.

Four Cases of Childhood Systemic Lupus Erythematosus.

Jun Ah Jeong¹, Young Mi Kim¹, Eun Sook Suh¹, Sung Ho Kim¹, Chin Moo Kang¹, Sang Sook Lee², Chai Hong Chung²

¹Department of Pediatrics, Keimyung University, School of Medicine, Taegu, Korea
²Department of Pathology, Keimyung University, School of Medicine, Taegu, Korea

Received: June 29, 1989;  Accepted: September 21, 1989.

Abstract

Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE) is a rare entity in pediatric age and prognosis is poor due to higher incidence of renal involvement in children. Authors experienced four cases of SLE, aged between 9-13 years. All cases were female. The diagnosis was based on “The 1982 revised criteria for SLE (by American Rheumatism Association). All cases had fever on admission and the butterfly facial rash was observed in 3 cases and joint involvement in 2 cases. All of them show characteristic immunofluorescent skin test and positive antinuclear antibody and three of them show decreased C3 and C4 level. Skin biopsy was done in all cases, showing chronic inflammatory changes. Renal involvement was observed in two among three cases in which renal biopsy was performed. Electron microscopic findings of the kidney showed electron dense deposits in basement membrane and mesangeal area in both cases. One case expried due to intracranial hemorrhage and two cases improoved with corticosteroid. One case who resisted to the corticosteroid therapy, showed improvement with chlorquine. Brief review of literature wase made.

Keywords :Systemic Lupus Erythematosus