A Near Fatal Puerperal Flare of Systemic Lupus Erythematosus: Case Report and Review

Background: Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is a chronic, multisystem autoimmune disease predominantly affecting women, particularly those of childbearing age. It is characterized by fluctuations of disease activity, with periods of high disease activity (i.e., flares) followed by periods of low activity.SLE provides significant challenges in the pre-pregnancy, antenatal, intrapartum, and postpartum periods for these women, and for the medical, obstetric, and midwifery teams who provide care for these women. History: A 28-year-old woman with SLE, diagnosed two years ago, compliant with medications and medical care and in remission, embarked on a planned pregnancy. Shortly after becoming pregnant, she started losing the hair with the recurrence of skin rash. She developed preeclampsia. She was managed on hydroxychloroquine together with antihypertensives (Nifedipine 30mg BD, Methyldopa 500mgTDS, and Angiotensin Receptor Blocker (Losartan)