Pyrexia of unknown origin in a child with chronic diffuse alopecia- A predictor of pediatric systemic lupus erythematosus

Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is a chronic prototypic autoimmune disorder characterized by the inflammatory and autoimmune reaction leading to protean systemic manifestations. The incidence of childhood-onset SLE has been estimated at an average of 0.6 per 1,00,000 children-years. Childhood-onset SLE has an aggressive course with renal and nervous systems being more involved than in adults. The latest validated Systemic Lupus International Collaborating Clinics (SLICC) criteria, which exhibited a higher sensitivity includes eleven clinical and six immunological items. This criteria has been validated in children. A multidisciplinary therapeutic approach is important due to the complexity of lupus in pediatric patients. We report a case of 12-year-old female child diagnosed as SLE due to its rare occurrence in the pediatric age group.