Sulphasalazine-induced systemic lupus erythematosus in a child.

A case is reported of lupus syndrome in a 13-year-old girl with ulcerative colitis treated with sulphasalazine. She had antibodies to nuclear factor and double-stranded DNA. The clinical pattern resembled drug-induced systemic lupus erythematosus and has resolved since her sulphasalazine was discontinued. Sulphasalazine-induced lupus syndrome has never been reported in a child. The history illustrates the role of sulphasalazine in the development of this syndrome.