In vivo LE phenomenon in pleural fluid

✍ Scribed by Mahesh R. Pandya; Bertrand Agus; Richard F. Grady

• Publisher: John Wiley and Sons
• Year: 1976
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 207 KB
• Volume: 19
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 0004-3591
• DOI: 10.1002/art.1780190526

✦ Synopsis

In vivo LE cell formation has been documented in skin ( I ), synovial fluid (2), pericardial fluid (3), and recently in peritoneal fluid (4). Although the presence of LE cells in pleural fluid has been mentioned, t o our knowledge there has been no actual documentation of this phenomenon.

Case Report. RE, a 49-year-old white female, was admitted to St. Clare's Hospital in April 1975 complaining of left pleuritic chest pain, cough, and fever of 4 weeks duration. She developed morning stiffness of the metacarpophalangeal joints of both hands 2 weeks before admission. There was no history of rash, hair loss, sunlight sensitivity, or Raynaud's phenomenon, nor was there any family history of rheumatic disease. She was taking no medication.

Examination showed that the patient was not in acute distress: temperature was 100.8, blood pressure was 120/80, and the pulse was 90 and regular. The skin and mucous membranes were normal. There was no active hair loss or alopecia. Breath sounds at the left base were dull and decreased. The heart was normal and the metacarpophalangeal joints of both hands showed