We report a 31-year-old woman admitted to our hospital with the complaints of generalized edema and 6 kg weight gain, which was unresponsive to conventional treatment, such as bed rest and diuretics. There was no evidence of cardiac, hepatic, or
renal
disease and initial diagnosis was idiopathic edema. Futher laboratory studies, however, disclosed positive Coombs' test, lymphopenia, hypocomplementemia, increased anti-ds DNA level, and result of fluorescent antinuclear antibody(FANA) and LF
cell
tests
were positive. A kidney and a skin biopsy were performed and the diagnosis of SLE was then made, based on laboratory tests including immunologic test, skin and kidney biopsy. Therapy with systemic corticosteroids resulted in disappearence of
edema
which
has not recurred for seven months after discharge. The diagnosis of SLE should be considered in menstruating women who has no evidence of cardiac, hepatic, of renal diseases.
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