Toxoplasma pericarditis mimicking systemic lupus erythematosus. Diagnostic and treatment difficulties in one patient

TY - JOUR

T1 - Toxoplasma pericarditis mimicking systemic lupus erythematosus. Diagnostic and treatment difficulties in one patient

AU - Lyngberg, K K

AU - Vennervald, B J

AU - Bygbjerg, I C

AU - Hansen, T M

AU - Thomsen, O O

N1 - Keywords: Animals; Antibodies, Antinuclear; Antibodies, Protozoan; Diagnosis, Differential; Female; Follow-Up Studies; Humans; Immunoglobulin G; Lupus Erythematosus, Systemic; Middle Aged; Pericarditis; Pyrimethamine; Sulfadiazine; Time Factors; Toxoplasma; Toxoplasmosis

PY - 1992

Y1 - 1992

N2 - A life-threatening T. gondii pericarditis developed in a patient with symptoms corresponding to systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) with high concentrations of antinuclear antibodies and lymphadenopathy. The diagnosis would have been SLE-associated serositis, had not pericardial fluid been inoculated into mice, because pericarditis is frequently seen in SLE and false positive toxoplasma seroreactions may occur in ANA positive patients. High IgG T. gondii antibodies without increased IgM antibodies indicated reactivation rather than primary infection. Prolonged high-dose treatment with pyrimethamine-sulphadiazine was needed. Interestingly, the patient's SLE symptoms, including high ANA antibodies, declined to an unexpected remission after treatment for toxoplasmosis. This may not be mere coincidence, but may point to a causative role of toxoplasmosis in some cases of SLE.

AB - A life-threatening T. gondii pericarditis developed in a patient with symptoms corresponding to systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) with high concentrations of antinuclear antibodies and lymphadenopathy. The diagnosis would have been SLE-associated serositis, had not pericardial fluid been inoculated into mice, because pericarditis is frequently seen in SLE and false positive toxoplasma seroreactions may occur in ANA positive patients. High IgG T. gondii antibodies without increased IgM antibodies indicated reactivation rather than primary infection. Prolonged high-dose treatment with pyrimethamine-sulphadiazine was needed. Interestingly, the patient's SLE symptoms, including high ANA antibodies, declined to an unexpected remission after treatment for toxoplasmosis. This may not be mere coincidence, but may point to a causative role of toxoplasmosis in some cases of SLE.

M3 - Journal article

C2 - 1418915

SN - 0785-3890

VL - 24

SP - 337

EP - 340

JO - Medical Biology

JF - Medical Biology

IS - 5

ER -