Case report of a lupus patient with flare and symptomatic cardiac tamponade and macrophage activation syndrome: A biochemical diagnostic perspective

Abstract

Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is an autoimmune disorder with multifactorial etiology involving vital organs like the heart and causing rare complications like cardiac tamponade which are indeed difficult to manage especially in a setting of macrophage activation syndrome (MAS) with flare. A case of 25-year-old female with flare having high.grade fever and breathlessness on exertion to begin with. Subsequently, she developed pericardial effusion leading to cardiac tamponade and was managed with pericardiocentesis. With the rising ferritin levels, raised triglycerides, and cytopenia, she was diagnosed as MAS, along with reactivation of tuberculosis. She was discharged on oral steroids and anti-tubercular therapy with regular follow-up. Clinical suspicion, keeping in mind, the rarest complications such as cardiac tamponade, and timely employability of biochemical tests can help in early diagnosis of MAS and can lead to early therapeutic intervention in SLE patients preventing fatal outcomes.