Autoimmune Hepatitis as an Initial Presentation of SLE

Abstract

: An 11-year-old female patient with autoimmune hepatitis (AIH) was referred to our rheumatology clinic due to her current musculoskeletal manifestations. The patient had been diagnosed with AIH 3 months previously, based on jaundice and impaired liver function tests, and she had been treated with low-dose prednisolone and azathioprine. She presented with malaise, arthritis, a malar rash on the face, and oral ulcers. Laboratory tests revealed a positive ANA/anti-dsDNA test. Liver biopsy showed chronic hepatitis with severe inflammatory activity, in favor of a diagnosis of definite AIH. She fulfilled the international criteria for both SLE and AIH. The clinical symptoms and laboratory findings of SLE improved with ongoing treatment with corticosteroids and azathioprine, accompanied with hydroxychloroquine sulfate. The present case indicates that AIH can be the first manifestation of SLE in children.