Case Presentation: A 17 y.o. female with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) presented with several weeks of worsening migratory polyarthralgia, as well as sporadic fevers, night sweats, and chills. Prednisone was begun 3 weeks prior for a presumed SLE flare, given elevated anti double-stranded DNA (anti-dsDNA) and erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) and hematuria, but provided no [...]

Background: The global impact of the COVID-19 pandemic has been profound, with significant disparities in infection and mortality rates, particularly in high-risk populations. Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is a chronic autoimmune disease that complicates patient management in the context of COVID-19, given the increased risk of infections and limited guidance on pharmacological management. Methods: This [...]

Background: The Antinuclear Antibody test (ANA) is a test often positive in patients with autoimmune rheumatologic disorders. However, ANA testing can also be positive in non-rheumatic conditions and in healthy individuals1. Prior studies have focused on the clinical utility of positive ANA testing in the outpatient setting by non-rheumatologists, but less is known about its [...]

Case Presentation: Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), commonly known as lupus, is a multifaceted autoimmune disorder characterized by a myriad of clinical manifestations, including but not limited to fatigue, joint pain and swelling, and malar rash. Although a common cardiac manifestation of SLE is pericarditis, often accompanied by pericardial effusion, pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) is not [...]

Case Presentation: A 57-year-old Honduran male with no past medical history presented with two weeks of recurrent fevers, dyspnea, bilateral blurred vision, and pain in his low back, flank, and abdomen. Chest X-ray revealed a round opacity over the right lower lung. CT chest, abdomen, and pelvis showed patchy consolidation in the right lower lobe [...]

Case Presentation: A 13-year-old previously healthy boy presented to the emergency department with 1 day of jaundice and scleral icterus as well as acute on chronic progressive abdominal pain. Review of systems was notable for unintentional 5 kg weight loss over the past year, fatigue, oral ulcers, Raynaud’s phenomenon, and gross hematuria. He had no [...]

Case Presentation: A 26-year-old woman with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) of ten years (status post renal transplant complicated by secondary acute rejection) presented to the Emergency Department with a week and a half of bilateral lower extremity edema and nausea. The patient’s lower extremity edema began nine days prior to admission and was slowly worsening. [...]