[Case of systemic lupus erythematosus occurring after induced abortion and drug eruption]

We describe a19 year-old woman who was diagnosed as systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) after abortion. She had taken anti-convulsants for epilepsy since she was 8 years old. Induced abortion surgery was performed at six weeks in her pregnancy. She showed pyrexia and a general rash 2 days after the abortion. She was introduced to our hospital because the administration of antibiotics was not effective. Since the anti-convulsants had been changed after pregnancy, we returned to those administered before pregnancy and followed her up. Her eruption improved, but she became aware of thirstiness and dry eye. She was diagnosed as Sjögren syndrome by ophthalmologic examination, lip biopsy, and elevation of an anti-SS-A antibody and an anti-SS-B antibody in the serum. Since we could not rule out SLE because of the low concentration of complement activity in blood, we followed her up carefully by checking serum markers of SLE. Protein urine developed after the improvement of the eruption 2 weeks later. Low complement activity was recognized and double stranded (ds)-DNA antibody became positive. In addition to these findings, she had an episode of hypersensitivity to sunlight and was therefore diagnosed as SLE. Since induced abortion and drug eruption might be associated with the onset of SLE, the case is thought to be a valuable from the view point of understanding the mechanism of SLE onset.