ETHOSUXIMIDE-ASSOCIATED SYSTEMIC LUPUS-ERYTHEMATOSUS IN CHILDHOOD

Systemic lupus erythematosis (SLE) is an autoimmune disorder that may be associated with antiepileptic drugs (AEDs). The postulated mechanis ms of drug-related lupus (DRL) include either an unmasking of idiopath ic SLE or the actual induction of autoantibodies. Although ethosuximid e (ETH) is one of the drugs most implicated in childhood DRL, our trea tment of a 13-year-old girl with ETH-associated DRL prompted a literat ure search that revealed only 15 other cases. Many of these were on mu ltiple AEDs. We subsequently became aware of two other cases. The rela tionship of ETH to SLE in these three children is discussed, and clini cal and laboratory features useful in the differentiation of various t ypes of SLE are reviewed.