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Updated: Jul 24, 2025

Imaging Features of Systemic Sclerosis-Associated Interstitial Lung Disease
Published on: June 16, 2020
Systemic lupus erythematosus-related acute lung disease
Félicien Triboulet1, Emmanuelle Guérin1,2, Samia Boussouar3
1Service de Médecine Interne 2, Centre de Référence National Lupus Systémique, Syndrome des Anticorps Anti-Phospholipides et Autres Maladies Auto-Immunes Systémiques Rares, Institut E3M, Assistance Publique-Hôpitaux de Paris (APHP), Hôpital La Pitié-Salpêtrière, Sorbonne Université, Paris, France.
Introduction:
Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is non-organ specific autoimmune disease with mainly skin, joint, and kidney involvement. SLE-related acute lung disease (ALD) is rare, poorly investigated and can lead to acute respiratory failure. We conducted a retrospective study aiming to describe clinical features, treatments and outcome of SLE-related APD.
Methods:
We retrospectively included all patients with SLE and ALD admitted from November 1996 and September 2018 to La Pitié-Salpêtrière Hospital, after exclusion of viral or bacterial lung infection, cardiac failure or any other alternate diagnosis.
Results:
During the time of the study, 14 patients with 16 episodes were admitted to our center: female 79%, mean age ± SD at admission 24 ± 11 years. ALD was inaugural of the SLE in 70% cases. SLE main organ involvement were: arthritis 93%, skin 79%, serositis 79%, hematological 79%, kidney 64%, neuropsychiatric 36% and cardiac 21%. 11 episodes required ICU admission for a median time of 8 days. Chest CT-scan revealed mostly basal consolidation and ground-glass opacities. When available, bronchoalveolar lavage mostly revealed a neutrophilic alveolitis with alveolar hemorrhage in 67% cases. Symptomatic respiratory treatments were: oxygen 81%, high-flow nasal canula oxygen 27%, non-invasive ventilation 36%, mechanical ventilation 64% and venovenous extracorporeal membrane oxygenation 18%. SLE-specific treatments were: corticosteroids 100%, cyclophosphamide 56% and plasma exchange 25%. All patients but one survived to ICU and hospital discharge. Two patients had a relapse of SLE-related ALD but none had interstitial lung disease during follow-up.
Conclusion:
Systemic lupus erythematosus-related acute respiratory failure is a severe event, mostly occurring at SLE onset, typical harboring a basal consolidation pattern on chest CT-scan and alveolar hemorrhage on BAL pathological examination. Mortality in our cohort is lower than previously reported but these results needs to be confirmed in further larger studies.
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