Scleroderma – lupus overlap syndrome: case report

Abstract

The overlap syndromes are a diverse group of conditions that usually have characteristic features of at least two well-defined rheumatic diseases occurring together. We present the case of a 32-year-old patient who sequentially develops manifestations of systemic lupus erythematosus and systemic sclerosis. The first manifestation of the disease was the pleural effusion and, over time, the patient associated various other complications which influenced the diagnostic course. Digital ulcerations associated to scleroderma have evolved into ischemic necrosis lesions, requiring amputation. This case is a clinically suggestive example of the complexity of autoimmune diseases, of associations between pathologies and unexpected evolutions, requiring constant and long-term follow-up of the patients.