Detection of lupus erythematosus cells in pleural effusion: An unusual presentation of systemic lupus erythematosus

Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is a chronic inflammatory disease typically diagnosed by a combination of physical findings and clinical laboratory testing. Several decades ago, the diagnosis of lupus included the lupus erythematosus (LE) cell assay. SLE is associated with pleuropulmonary manifes...

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Main Authors: Sushma Gulhane, Nitin Gangane
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Wolters Kluwer Medknow Publications 2012-01-01
Series:Journal of Cytology
Subjects:
Online Access:http://www.jcytol.org/article.asp?issn=0970-9371;year=2012;volume=29;issue=1;spage=77;epage=79;aulast=Gulhane
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spelling doaj-904d5e3345904538a2948548664374ea2020-11-24T22:26:54ZengWolters Kluwer Medknow PublicationsJournal of Cytology0970-93712012-01-01291777910.4103/0970-9371.93232Detection of lupus erythematosus cells in pleural effusion: An unusual presentation of systemic lupus erythematosusSushma GulhaneNitin GanganeSystemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is a chronic inflammatory disease typically diagnosed by a combination of physical findings and clinical laboratory testing. Several decades ago, the diagnosis of lupus included the lupus erythematosus (LE) cell assay. SLE is associated with pleuropulmonary manifestations in well over 50% of cases. Although pleural effusion is common but very rarely is the initial manifestation of disease. There are very few reports of SLE diagnosed in a cytopathology laboratory. We report an unusual case of SLE in a 16-year-old female who presented with acute shortness of breath, fever and cough. Her chest radiograph showed bilateral pleural effusion. This effusion was tapped and sent to the cytopathology laboratory. The cytological examination of the pleural fluid revealed numerous LE cells and led to the diagnosis of SLE. Autoimmune serology techniques such as anti-nuclear antibody staining have replaced the LE cell assay. However, as presented in this report and found in a review of the literature, the in vivo finding of LE cells by cytopathology can provide an important clue to the diagnosis of SLE, especially when associated with an uncommon presentation.http://www.jcytol.org/article.asp?issn=0970-9371;year=2012;volume=29;issue=1;spage=77;epage=79;aulast=GulhaneLE cells; pleural effusion; systemic lupus erythematosus; tart cells.
collection DOAJ
language English
format Article
sources DOAJ
author Sushma Gulhane
Nitin Gangane
spellingShingle Sushma Gulhane
Nitin Gangane
Detection of lupus erythematosus cells in pleural effusion: An unusual presentation of systemic lupus erythematosus
Journal of Cytology
LE cells; pleural effusion; systemic lupus erythematosus; tart cells.
author_facet Sushma Gulhane
Nitin Gangane
author_sort Sushma Gulhane
title Detection of lupus erythematosus cells in pleural effusion: An unusual presentation of systemic lupus erythematosus
title_short Detection of lupus erythematosus cells in pleural effusion: An unusual presentation of systemic lupus erythematosus
title_full Detection of lupus erythematosus cells in pleural effusion: An unusual presentation of systemic lupus erythematosus
title_fullStr Detection of lupus erythematosus cells in pleural effusion: An unusual presentation of systemic lupus erythematosus
title_full_unstemmed Detection of lupus erythematosus cells in pleural effusion: An unusual presentation of systemic lupus erythematosus
title_sort detection of lupus erythematosus cells in pleural effusion: an unusual presentation of systemic lupus erythematosus
publisher Wolters Kluwer Medknow Publications
series Journal of Cytology
issn 0970-9371
publishDate 2012-01-01
description Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is a chronic inflammatory disease typically diagnosed by a combination of physical findings and clinical laboratory testing. Several decades ago, the diagnosis of lupus included the lupus erythematosus (LE) cell assay. SLE is associated with pleuropulmonary manifestations in well over 50% of cases. Although pleural effusion is common but very rarely is the initial manifestation of disease. There are very few reports of SLE diagnosed in a cytopathology laboratory. We report an unusual case of SLE in a 16-year-old female who presented with acute shortness of breath, fever and cough. Her chest radiograph showed bilateral pleural effusion. This effusion was tapped and sent to the cytopathology laboratory. The cytological examination of the pleural fluid revealed numerous LE cells and led to the diagnosis of SLE. Autoimmune serology techniques such as anti-nuclear antibody staining have replaced the LE cell assay. However, as presented in this report and found in a review of the literature, the in vivo finding of LE cells by cytopathology can provide an important clue to the diagnosis of SLE, especially when associated with an uncommon presentation.
topic LE cells; pleural effusion; systemic lupus erythematosus; tart cells.
url http://www.jcytol.org/article.asp?issn=0970-9371;year=2012;volume=29;issue=1;spage=77;epage=79;aulast=Gulhane
work_keys_str_mv AT sushmagulhane detectionoflupuserythematosuscellsinpleuraleffusionanunusualpresentationofsystemiclupuserythematosus
AT nitingangane detectionoflupuserythematosuscellsinpleuraleffusionanunusualpresentationofsystemiclupuserythematosus
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