Main Article Content
Abstract
Background: Lupus nephritis (LN) is a severe manifestation of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), characterized by kidney inflammation. Pregnancy can trigger or exacerbate LN due to hormonal shifts and altered immune responses. This case highlights the challenges in diagnosing and managing pregnancy-associated LN.
Case presentation: A 27-year-old woman presented with anasarca, malar rash, shortness of breath, and foamy urine during her first pregnancy. She had a history of SLE with previous symptoms limited to skin and joint involvement. Investigations revealed nephrotic-range proteinuria, hematuria, elevated creatinine, and positive anti-nuclear antibodies (ANA). Renal biopsy confirmed Class IV lupus nephritis. She was diagnosed with pregnancy-triggered severe LN with nephrotic syndrome, pleural effusion, and a hypercoagulable state. Treatment included high-dose corticosteroids and mycophenolate mofetil, with close monitoring of both maternal and fetal health.
Conclusion: This case underscores the importance of recognizing and promptly managing LN in pregnancy. Early diagnosis, multidisciplinary care, and individualized treatment are crucial to optimize maternal and fetal outcomes.
Keywords
Article Details
As our aim is to disseminate original research article, hence the publishing right is a necessary one. The publishing right is needed in order to reach the agreement between the author and publisher. As the journal is fully open access, the authors will sign an exclusive license agreement.
The authors have the right to:
- Share their article in the same ways permitted to third parties under the relevant user license.
- Retain copyright, patent, trademark and other intellectual property rights including research data.
- Proper attribution and credit for the published work.
For the open access article, the publisher is granted to the following right.
- The non-exclusive right to publish the article and grant right to others.
- For the published article, the publisher applied for the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.