Ibuprofen-induced Meningitis in a Male with Systemic Lupus Erythematosus

ABSTRACT. Jensen S, Glud TK, Bacher T, Ersgaard H (Departments of Endocrinology, Clinical Immunology and Anaesthetics, Aalborg Hospital, Aalborg, Denmark). Ibuprofen-induced meningitis in a male with systemic lupus erythematosus. Acta Med Scand 1987; 221:509–11. A 36-year-old male with systemic lupus erythematosus developed aseptic meningitis after in-gestion of ibuprofen. He was unconscious, had a universal rash, high fever and a pathological CSF. Being severely ill he was treated with high doses of corticosteroids and plasmapheresis and recovered within a week. Ibuprofen, a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug of the propionic acid group, is frequently used in patients with connective tissue disorders. Within the past eight years a few reports have been published on aseptic meningitis following ingestion of ibuprofen in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) (1–5) and mixed connective tissue disease (6–8). All of these patients were women. We report a serious case of aseptic meningitis in a male subject with SLE.