JUVENILE SYSTEMIC LUPUS-ERYTHEMATOSUS IN 60 SAUDI CHILDREN

A ten-year retrospective analysis of the clinical features and surviva l of 60 Saudi children with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) was mad e. All the patients fulfilled the 1982 American College of Rheumatolog y's revised criteria for SLE and had had the disease at or before the age of 16 years. The female to male ratio was 5:1, the mean age of ons et was 12.1 years (range 1.6-16 years), and the mean duration of follo w-up was 4.7 years (range 2.2-11). Thirty-eight patients (63%) were di agnosed correctly before referral to KFSH&RC or KKUH. The mode of pres entation was as follows: 55 patients had musculoskeletal involvement ( 91.6%), 49 patients had skin involvement (81.6%), 40 patients had hema tological abnormalities (66.6%), 39 patients had renal disease (65%), 10 patients had pulmonary involvement (16%), 23 patients had cardiovas cular disease (38%) and 18 patients had central nervous system involve ment. During the study period four patients died (6.6%) - two of renal failure, one from meningitis and one from severe sepsis. This is the largest collection of childhood systemic lupus erythematosus from the Middle East and it shows that SLE is more common in Saudis than was hi therto believed, and that it has a high rare of organ involvement.