Flexor tenosynovitis of the hands as an initial manifestation of systemic lupus erythematosus
Y. Tada1, M. Sadakata1, S. Koarada1, O. Ushiyama1, N. Suzuki1, A. Ohta2, K. Nagasawa1
(1)Department of Internal Medicine, Saga Medical School, 5-1-1 Nabeshima, Saga 849-8501, Japan
(2)Department of Nursing, Saga Medical School, Saga, Japan
Abstract We describe a patient who presented with flexion contractures of the bilateral fingers due to tenosynovitis of the flexor digitorum tendons as an initial manifestation of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). A 17-year-old woman had abrupt onset of diffuse swelling and flexion contractures in the bilateral fingers, accompanied by polyarthritis and cervical lymphadenopathy. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) showed flexor tenosynovitis of the hands. A diagnosis of SLE was made by immunological and hematological tests, and treatment with oral corticosteroids resulted in a rapid and complete disappearance of the flexion contractures.
