ArticleCureus2026
Epstein-Barr Virus (EBV)-Positive Diffuse Large B-cell Lymphoma Masquerading As Lupus Pneumonitis in a Young Woman With Systemic Lupus Erythematosus: A Diagnostic Odyssey.
Article in Cureus, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
0 citing papers in PubMed.
No citing paper in PubMed yet.
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
3 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
Patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) are at increased risk for lymphoma compared to the general population. While pulmonary manifestations are common in SLE, diffuse micronodular patterns can resemble infection, granulomatous disease, or malignancy, making diagnosis challenging. A 21-year-old woman with childhood-onset SLE (class IV lupus nephritis) on mycophenolate mofetil and hydroxychloroquine presented with progressive dyspnea and diffuse bilateral pulmonary micronodularity. Initial bronchoscopy and biopsy showed non-specific perivascular inflammation, negative for malignancy or infection. She initially responded to steroids with near-complete radiographic resolution. Over the next nine months, however, she developed recurrent pulmonary nodules unresponsive to increased immunosuppression. Repeat bronchoscopy revealed necrotizing granulomatous inflammation without identifiable organisms. Her condition progressed to respiratory failure, necessitating a surgical lung biopsy. Video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS) wedge resection identified Epstein-Barr virus (EBV)-positive diffuse large B-cell lymphoma arising in immune deficiency/dysregulation, with an EBV PCR of 25,500 IU/mL. Postoperatively, she developed acute respiratory failure requiring extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) and hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis (HLH). She completed six cycles of rituximab, cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin, vincristine, and prednisone (R-CHOP) chemotherapy. End-of-treatment PET/CT showed persistent hypermetabolic pulmonary nodules (Deauville score 5), and she is now being evaluated for chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell therapy. This case highlights the challenge of distinguishing lymphoproliferative disorders from autoimmune lung disease in immunosuppressed SLE patients. Initial steroid responsiveness does not rule out malignancy. Clinicians should maintain a high suspicion for lymphoma in SLE patients with atypical or refractory pulmonary symptoms, especially those on chronic immunosuppression.
Indexed as
Identifiers
What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.