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What Causes SLE With History Of Meningitis?

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Posted on Thu, 5 Mar 2015
Question: I'm a black man with a history of meningitis. spinal and meningococcal meningitis in my life time. Later on I was diagnosed with SLE lupus
What are the possibility I was misdiagnosed in the past
Ask to a rheumatologist or other doctors only who been certified by the XXXXXXX college of rheumatology that treat lupus patients
doctor
Answered by Dr. Dr. Shruti Rijhwani (6 hours later)
Brief Answer:
Please send your autoimmune profile.

Detailed Answer:
Dear Sir,

Thank you for posting your query on HCM.

Well looking at your problem meningitis can be a presenting symptom of lupus although its not that common and therefore will need a high index of suspicion to keep a differential of lupus at the time of presentation . But Lupus cerebritis can be diagnosed by MRI findings along with autoimmune profile positivity like ANA and ENA profile .

Another possibilty is that your infection could have triggered your immune sytem to develop lupus , its also a common phenomenon. But yes chances exist more in the favour that you may be having lupus since long and meningitis would have been its presentation only .

It would be very difficult to comment whether you were misdiagnosed or not as at that time you didnt mention of any other symptoms like photosensitivity , hair fall , raynauds phenomenon etc present at the time of having meningitis or before that and also you were a male patient and lupus is more common in females so index of suspicion would have been less.

Take care.

Dr. Shruti
Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Bhagyalaxmi Nalaparaju
doctor
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Follow up: Dr. Dr. Shruti Rijhwani (5 days later)
Doing my bout with Spinal meningitis there was swelling of the body and face, loss of memory, light sensitive and kidney stone
That was doing Basic training 1976
But you got to understand I was a soldier in only combat unit we got seen by other soldier with a RA degree in nursing up to a nurse practitioner with a some doctor in a unit clinic, only caring about bumps and bruises
By the time I got to Germany I learn to deal with what ever and move on
I got real sick one night and because I was in a Outland unit hundreds of miles away from the nearest XXXXXXX hospital I was sent to a Germany military hospital for about a day without treatment. I woke up in-flight on my way to the XXXXXXX military hospital
fighting to stay alive. I got there and was finally treated for meningococcal meningitis
Doing my stay there I was diagnosed with high blood pressure, a high white blood count. Had to have a blood translation my whole body swell up and blisters start to form on my legs moving up my body. I was Took into surgery and end up getting prep for a skin graft....but that did'nt happen doing the wait to see where or who get to perform the surgery 15 days later I lost hearing in my right ears I had problems with sound and light... But at this time I cannot sent my records to many don't know what to sent you they so messed up
doctor
Answered by Dr. Dr. Shruti Rijhwani (14 hours later)
Brief Answer:
These symptoms do not point to an Autoimmune disease....

Detailed Answer:
Dear Sir,

Thank you for reverting back.

Well looking into the history that you have provided , I would like to tell you that these symptoms dont point to lupus or any other autoimmune disease . In my opinion your doctors were right in diagnosing you with meningitis that time , skin blisters must be due to meningococcal infection so diagnosis seems appropriate in my opinion.

Dr. Shruti
Note: For further information on diet changes to reduce allergy symptoms or to boost your immunity, Ask here.

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Vinay Bhardwaj
doctor
Answered by
Dr.
Dr. Dr. Shruti Rijhwani

Rheumatologist

Practicing since :2008

Answered : 2366 Questions

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What Causes SLE With History Of Meningitis?

Brief Answer: Please send your autoimmune profile. Detailed Answer: Dear Sir, Thank you for posting your query on HCM. Well looking at your problem meningitis can be a presenting symptom of lupus although its not that common and therefore will need a high index of suspicion to keep a differential of lupus at the time of presentation . But Lupus cerebritis can be diagnosed by MRI findings along with autoimmune profile positivity like ANA and ENA profile . Another possibilty is that your infection could have triggered your immune sytem to develop lupus , its also a common phenomenon. But yes chances exist more in the favour that you may be having lupus since long and meningitis would have been its presentation only . It would be very difficult to comment whether you were misdiagnosed or not as at that time you didnt mention of any other symptoms like photosensitivity , hair fall , raynauds phenomenon etc present at the time of having meningitis or before that and also you were a male patient and lupus is more common in females so index of suspicion would have been less. Take care. Dr. Shruti