Late Onset Systemic Lupus Erythematosus

Late onset systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) after 50-year-old is rare. We report a case of 84-year-old woman presenting with systemic lupus revealed by pleural effusion associated with renal involvement. The pleural effusion, renal abnormalities and the immunological abnormality improved within 4 weeks after prednisone therapy (1 mg/kg/day). The late onset lupus differs from those with early onset, in terms of mild clinical presentation and favourable prognosis. Our observation is exceptional due to the very late onset of the lupus and involvement of a major organ, the kidney, which is usually exceptional in this age.