Systemic Lupus Erythematosus Case Study
Systemic Lupus Erythematosus
Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is a chronic, life-long autoimmune disease that affects multiple tissues and organs in the body (Madhok and Wu, 2009). The primary tissues and organs affected by immune system dysfunction are the joints, kidneys, vessel walls, and skin. SLE is believed to be due to an interaction between genetic factors and environmental triggers. The disease is also more prevalent among women, which is consistent with the possibility that hormones play some role in disease etiology.
Of primary concern is lupus glomerulonephritis (Madhok and Wu, 2009). Other serious complications include cardiovascular and neuropsychiatric involvement. Most patients will experience arthritis or joint pain (84%), fever (52%), malar rash (58%), and photosensitivity (45%). Accordingly, a diagnosis of SLE will depend in part on a blood test for anti-nuclear antibodies (ANA) and presentation with rash, joint pain, fatigue, and/or low-grade fevers.
The pain in Vicki's knees, shoulders, and elbows is the result of inflammation, which is caused by an autoimmune reaction to cartilaginous tissue in the joints (A.D.A.M., 2013). The fever is most likely low grade and due to systemic inflammation and the frequent infections...
CellCept drug for the treatment of kidney complications could be a boon to lupus patients (Chang, 2005). A small study showed that the drug delivered better results than standard chemotherapy, which could cause infertility and other medical problems. A recent experiment compared the effects of CellCept and the older treatment, cyclophosphamide, in patients for 6 months. Those taking CellCept reported fewer side effects. The researchers were led by Dr. Ellen
The most common cause of death is infection due to immunosuppression, a result in turn of medications intended to manage the disease. Chances are worse for men and children than for women. After the age of 60, the disease tends to turn benign. The only marker of prognosis in lupus is the anti-ds DNA antibody test and the most sensitive is the Anti-Smith test (Wikipedia) The standard treatment for lupus
differential diagnosis for Mrs. Patrick and give the most likely probable diagnosis. A review of the case reveals that Mrs. Patrick could be suffering from Fibroblastic rheumatism, Rheumatoid Arthritis, Sarcoid arthropathy, Acute viral polyarthritis or Rheumatoid Arthritis. Fibroblastic rheumatism is noted by Chkirate and Job-Deslandre (2001) to be a very rare disease of an unknown etiology. It however shares certain features of arthritis, nodules as well as arthraglia. The disease causes
As a result, children and adolescents are at risk of delays and impairments in cognitive development" (Levy 2009). Such delays are far from inevitable, but they do underline the need to assure that Sarah 'keeps up' with her studies and that reasonable peer-appropriate learning goals may need to be met with the assistance of additional support in some instances. Although not directly applicable to Sarah, immunizations with live viruses, including
laboratory-based practical work undertaken in this module was in relation to a case study of Systemic Lupus Erythematosus, SLE. SLE is a connective tissue disorder, which is autoimmune in nature. This disease affects multiple organs and its clinical manifestation is based on its severity and the organ involved. The pathogenesis of this disease is based on antigen-antibody complexes that circulate in the blood and deposit in the smaller blood
Recent CasePatient Information:Betty Thompson is a 45-year-old African American female. She works as a school teacher and lives with her husband and two teenage children.Subjective CC (chief complaint):Betty reports irregular periods and hot flashes for the last six months. She has also been feeling unusually tired recently.HPI: The key symptoms reported by Betty are irregular menstrual cycles, hot flashes, and fatigue. These symptoms can indicate the onset of perimenopause.Current Medications:
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