Pulmonary manifestations

Pulmonary involvement may manifest acutely or indolently.

Pulmonary manifestations include:

• pleurisy with pleuritic chest pain - is the most common acute pulmonary manifestation and warrants investigation for SLE in any young woman who is more ill than may otherwise be expected.
• shortness of breath or dyspnoea
• pulmonary embolism - associated with antiphospholipid antibodies
• interstitial pneumonia:
  • common
  • usually due to concomitant infection rather than the disease process itself
• pleural and pericardial effusions
• haemoptysis
• rarer complications include
  • interstitial lung disease
  • pulmonary hypertension
  • pulmonary haemorrhage
  • small lung syndrome (1,2).

Reference:

• (1) Cojocaru M et al.Manifestations of systemic lupus erythematosus. Maedica (Buchar). 2011;6(4):330-6.
• (2) Manson JJ, Rahman A. Systemic lupus erythematosus. Orphanet J Rare Dis. 2006;1:6