| Abstrakt: |
Objective: This study aimed to reveal the clinical findings, treatment options, organ involvement and severity of childhood-onset systemic lupus erythematosus (cSLE) patients followed in a tertiary pediatric rheumatology center and to better understand this disease. Materials and Methods: Thirty-seven patients with cSLE diagnosed according to the classification criteria between 2019 and 2024 were included in the study. Results: The median age at the diagnosis was 13.8 (IQR: 10.6-16.1) years. The most common finding was acute/subacute lupus rash in 62.2% of the patients, while other common findings included alopecia, photosensitivity, and arthritis, with a prevalence rate of 54.1%. Sixteen (43.2%) patients had renal involvement. Fifteen (40.5%) of them had biopsy-proven lupus nephritis. Twenty percent of the patients had class 1, 13.3% class 2, 13.3% class 3, 40% class 4, and 20% class 5 nephritis. The two most commonly used agents were hydroxychloroquine (97.3%) and mycophenolate mofetil (51.4%). The rate of steroid use was 81%. The proportion of patients receiving pulse methylprednisolone was 32.4%. The median baseline Systemic Lupus Erythematosus Disease Activity Index 2000 (SLEDAI-2K) score for participants was 9.5 (IQR: 6-15.5), while the median final visit SLEDAI-2K score was 2 (IQR: 0-2). There was a difference between the last visit and baseline SLEDAI-2K scores (p<0.001). Conclusion: This article presents a comprehensive analysis of clinical and laboratory findings, disease activity scores, and disease damage indices of children with cSLE in a tertiary referral center. Additionally, the patient's last visit growth parameters are included in the study for a more holistic view of the patient's condition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] |
