Bilateral pleural effusion with APLA positivity in a case of rhupus syndrome

Respiratory Manifestations in Systemic Lupus Erythematosus

Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is a chronic systemic autoimmune disease characterized by a wide spectrum of clinical manifestations. The respiratory system can be involved in up to 50-70% of patients and be the presenting manifestation of the disease in 4-5% of cases. Every part of the respiratory part can be involved, and the severity can vary from mild self-limiting to life threatening forms. Respiratory involvement can be primary (caused by SLE itself) or secondary (e.g., infections or drug toxicity), acute or chronic. The course, treatment and prognosis vary greatly depending on the specific pattern of the disease. This review article aims at providing an overview of respiratory manifestations in SLE along with an update about therapeutic approaches including novel biologic therapies.

Rhupus syndrome: a case report

Rhupus syndrome is a rare overlap syndrome that can be observed together with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and rheumatoid arthritis (RA). We report the case of a young male patient diagnosed with SLE due to new skin findings and also diagnosed with RA 3 years earlier.