Cardiac tamponade in an adolescent female: an unusual manifestation of systemic lupus erythematosus.

Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) affects approximately 0.6 children per 100,000. The disease is extremely rare in children under 5 years of age and is diagnosed predominantly in adolescent females. Children tend to present with more severe multisystem involvement than adults. Pericarditis occurs in approximately 25% of patients with SLE in all age groups. Progression to tamponade is extremely uncommon in the pediatric population. In the current report, an adolescent girl is diagnosed with SLE after presenting with signs and symptoms consistent with cardiac tamponade. A review of other pediatric patients with a similar presentation is also included.