Shrinking Lung Syndrome: A Rare Manifestation of Systemic Lupus Erythematosus

Saiara Choudhury; Manuel Ramos; Humayun Anjum; Mohammed Ali; Salim Surani

doi:10.7759/cureus.8216

Shrinking Lung Syndrome: A Rare Manifestation of Systemic Lupus Erythematosus

Cureus. 2020 May 21;12(5):e8216. doi: 10.7759/cureus.8216.

Authors

Saiara Choudhury¹, Manuel Ramos², Humayun Anjum³, Mohammed Ali³, Salim Surani^{1

4}

Affiliations

¹ Internal Medicine, Corpus Christi Medical Center, Corpus Christi, USA.
² Pulmonary Medicine, Corpus Christi Medical Center, Corpus Christi, USA.
³ Pulmonary/Critical Care Medicine, Corpus Christi Medical Center, Corpus Christi, USA.
⁴ Internal Medicine, University of North Texas, Dallas, USA.

Abstract

Shrinking lung syndrome (SLS) is a pulmonary complication of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) characterized by dyspnea, pleuritic chest pain, and progressive decrease in lung volumes with no evidence of pleural or interstitial disease on chest CT. We present a 51-year-old female with a 14-year history of SLE with symptoms of progressive shortness of breath, pleuritic chest pains, low grade fevers, and productive cough which was unresponsive to multiple courses of antibiotics. After careful review of her course of SLE and timeline of symptoms, she was diagnosed with SLS. Even though rare, clinicians should have a high suspicion of SLS in patients with a long-term history of SLE and worsening dyspnea. Early treatment can be initiated to help reduce long-term morbidity and mortality and maintain the quality of life.

Keywords: diaphragmatic elevation; dyspnea; hypoxemia; restrictive lung disease; shrinking lung syndrome; systemic lupus erythematosus.

Publication types

Case Reports