Three‐Year Diagnostic Delay in Shrinking Lung Syndrome: Rituximab‐Theophylline Combination as Rescue Therapy
Abstract
Shrinking lung syndrome (SLS) is an infrequent complication of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). A 41-year-old woman with a 10-year history of SLE presented with dyspnea, chest pain, and dry cough. She had poor medication compliance and multiple hospitalizations over 3 years for similar symptoms, without a definitive diagnosis. Imaging revealed bilateral basal atelectasis and an elevated right hemidiaphragm, while pulmonary function tests (PFTs) showed a restrictive pattern. Other lung and cardiac conditions were excluded, leading to a diagnosis of SLS. Treatment with rituximab, prednisolone, and theophylline improved PFTs, chest pain, cough, and dyspnea at follow-up. Clinicians should consider SLS in SLE patients with dyspnea and characteristic imaging, as delayed diagnosis may increase morbidity.
Fields of Study & Subjects
Systemic Lupus Erythematosus Research
Infectious Diseases and Tuberculosis
Congenital Diaphragmatic Hernia Studies
Publication details
- Journal / source
- Respirology Case Reports
- Publisher
- Wiley
- Volume
- 14
- Issue
- 1
- Pages
- e70461–e70461
- Publication date
- 1 January 2026
- Language
- EN