Psychotic Symptoms in a Child with Long Standing SLE Nephritis: Neuropsychiatric Manifestation or Sequelae to Lupus?

Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE) is a prototypic autoimmune disease of unknown etiology, which affects multiple organ systems including the central nervous system (CNS). Though not common, childhood onset SLE is a known and established entity. Neuropsychiatric symptoms are common in childhood onset SLE. Of these, psychosis and behavioural symptoms are relatively rare, and there is no consensus on the proper treatment of such cases. We report a case of 13-year-old boy, diagnosed with lupus nephritis, and presented with psychosis and behavioural symptoms. The highlight of this case is that the psychiatric symptoms were present despite the primary illness being quiescent. Thus, the patient was treated with Olanzapine and lorazepam, while continuing immunosuppressive therapy as previously. Also, MRI brain revealed vasculitic changes in the right hemisphere, which might be one of the etiological factors playing role in the development of these neuropsychiatric symptoms.