(225) Laryngeal Edema in Newly Diagnosed Systemic Lupus Erythematosus

Introduction: Acute laryngeal edema is a rare but potentially life-threatening manifestation of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and may, in exceptional cases, represent the initial presentation of disease. This report presents a case of acute laryngeal edema in newly diagnosed SLE and is accompanied by a systematic review to examine reported presentations, proposed mechanisms, and clinical outcomes of lupus-associated upper airway involvement.

Methods: This study is a case report with systematic review examining acute laryngeal edema as a presenting manifestation of SLE. The study, conducted in 2025, focuses on patients with newly diagnosed SLE who developed acute upper airway involvement. The subject is a patient presenting with acute laryngeal edema, while the systematic review will include previously reported cases identified across multiple medical databases. The case was evaluated in an acute care hospital setting. Interventions consisted of airway evaluation and management, corticosteroid therapy, and input across multiple subspecialty services. Outcomes measured by clinical course, including resolution of laryngeal edema, need for airway intervention, response to immunosuppressive therapy, and short-term clinical outcomes. Independent variables include patient demographics, timing of SLE diagnosis, clinical presentation, suspected etiology of airway involvement, and treatment modalities. Preliminary analyses for the ongoing study include descriptive synthesis of the case findings and qualitative analysis of patterns observed in the systematic review.

Results: The outcomes are descriptive in nature- include characterization of acute laryngeal edema, clinical course, response interventions, and patient outcomes. For the systematic review, outcomes include reported patterns of presentation, proposed mechanisms, management strategies, and clinical outcomes.

Conclusions: Airway involvement in newly diagnosed SLE is a life threatening, poorly described, and rare clinical phenomenon. More information is needed to help providers recognize this and help understand the root cause.