All issues > Volume 30(5); 1987

Original Article

J Korean Pediatr Soc. 1987;30(5):527-535. Published online May 31, 1987.

A Clinical Observation on Systemic Lupus Erythematosus in Children.

Han Wook Yoo¹, Hae Il Cheong¹, Hoan Jong Lee¹, Yong Choi¹, Kwang Wook Ko¹, Yong Il Kim²

¹Department of Pediatrics, College of Medicine Seoul National University
²Department of Pathology, College of Medicine Seoul National University

Abstract

To elucidate the clinical characteristics of childhood onset systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), we carried out a retrospective review on medical records of sixteen patients who were diagnosed as SLE on the base of “the 1982 revised criteria for the SLE” (by American Rheumatism Association) at the Department of Pediatrics, Seoul National University Children’s Hospital between January 1976 and July 1986. The results were summarized as follows; 1) Female patients outnumbered male by three to one. 2) Owing to striking diversity regarding clinical patterns, patients presented were initially diagnosed as various diseases including renal, hematologic, neurologic, infectious disease and so on. 3) The major clinical manifestations were hematologic involvement, renal involvement, malar rash, and pericarditis in order of frequency. 4) Diffuse proliferative lupus nephritis (class IV) had the highest frequency (6/13) in renal histopathologic tudies. 5) Among the immunologic tests useful in the diagnosis of SLE, FAN A (fluorescent antinuclear antibody) and anti-ds DNA antibody test revealed highest sensitivity, but LE cell test was less sensitive. 6) The serologic and hematologic parameters tended to be normalized in order of leukopenia, C3,and C4 sequentially responding to initial treatment. Conclusively, the childhood onset SLE is not so rare, though not common, and the high index of suspicion is important for accurate diagnosis due to the diversity of clinical features.

Keywords :Systemic Lupus Erythematosus in Children.