A female college student's feet became thicker and her belly became bigger, and she thought she was getting fat! It turned out to be lupus erythematosus that caused renal failure, causing edema and dialysis to save his life

If your feet become thicker and your belly becomes bigger for no apparent reason, don’t think that you have gained weight suddenly. Be careful that it may be an uncontrolled immune system disease that affects kidney function and causes edema. About 10 months ago, a 19-year-old college girl named Ms. Li's feet became thicker, her belly became bigger, and she gained 15 kilograms. She thought she was getting fat, so she ran desperately to lose weight. In fact, it was not fat but edema. The doctor at the Changhua Hospital of the Ministry of Health and Welfare diagnosed him with systemic lupus erythematosus, which damaged his kidney function and caused edema. He later developed terminal acute renal failure and underwent dialysis for more than two months to save his life.

Dr. Cai Minrui emphasized that if young women have unexplained edema, they must seek medical attention to clarify the cause of the edema. It may not be caused by lupus erythematosus, but may also be caused by kidney disease, cirrhosis, venous thrombosis, heart failure, etc. Do not think that you are fat and lose weight on your own. (Photo provided by Changhua Hospital)

Miss Li said that she had the habit of exercising every day, but she started to gain weight at the beginning of last year. Her feet, stomach and face were all swollen. She could hardly wear her shoes and had to wear her father's pants. Her weight soared from 47 kg to 62 kg, as if she had been pumped up. She naturally thought that she had gained weight and did not consider other factors. So she started running like crazy, running 2 kilometers in the morning and 2 kilometers in the evening, and also added dancing and yoga, but she just couldn't lose weight. After more than a month, she kept coughing, her urine turned red and contained more bubbles, and she was often tired and breathless. After visiting the clinic, she was transferred to Changhua Hospital.

Female college student suffered from lupus erythematosus and kidney failure, and survived after more than two months of dialysis

Cai Minrui, director of the Department of Nephrology at Changhua Hospital, who treated the patient, pointed out that the patient's proteinuria was as high as 8,000 mg per day, while a normal person has about 100 mg. Blood tests and kidney biopsies showed end-stage acute renal failure. In addition to emergency hospitalization, he also had to undergo hemodialysis, and after a series of tests, he was diagnosed with systemic lupus erythematosus. At that time, I was also worried that it would develop into chronic renal failure, which would require long-term dialysis. Fortunately, after more than two months of dialysis, the kidneys slowly recovered their functions. Currently, the patient takes medication to control the condition, and returns to the nephrology and immunology and rheumatology departments for follow-up every month.

Dr. Cai Minrui said that systemic lupus erythematosus is an autoimmune disease that commonly invades the joints and skin, such as butterfly spots or skin ulcers. It may also damage organs throughout the body, such as the kidneys, nervous system, lungs, heart and blood-related organs. It is more common in young women. When the kidneys are invaded, edema will occur due to the loss of protein in the urine. In this case, Ms. Li only had edema in the early stages of the disease and no other common skin symptoms appeared, making it more difficult to diagnose.

The onset of systemic lupus erythematosus may damage kidney function and cause edema. (Photo provided by Changhua Hospital)

Ms. Li said that she studied cosmetology and hairdressing in high school and fashion design in college, but now her kidneys are not in good condition and she cannot come into contact with chemical substances, so she had to give up and temporarily suspend her studies to recuperate. People with lupus erythematosus need to avoid sun exposure, and her parents happen to grow vegetables in greenhouses, which are packaged and shipped early in the morning without exposure to the sun, so she is now helping at home to get her condition under control first. In fact, her grandfather suffered from lupus erythematosus, but her family never expected that she would have it too. Her parents felt very guilty and were afraid that she would get sick again, so they didn't let her work too hard. Now she lives a good life.

Unexplained edema, you must seek medical attention to clarify the cause of the edema

Dr. Cai Minrui emphasized that if young women have unexplained edema, they must seek medical attention to clarify the cause of the edema. It may not be caused by lupus erythematosus, but may also be caused by kidney disease, cirrhosis, venous thrombosis, heart failure, etc. Do not think that you are fat and lose weight on your own.