A patient with systemic lupus erythematosus may have an elevated serum creatine kinase (CK). Several conditions are in the differential diagnosis.
The serum CK may be elevated in a patient with SLE with
(1) myositis in SLE
(2) myocarditis in SLE
(3) SLE overlap syndrome with dermatomyositis or polymyositis
(4) therapy-related myositis (chloroquine, hydroxychloroquine)
(5) hypothyroidism
(6) rhabdomyolysis from other cause (heat, exertion, etc)
(7) other cause for elevated CK
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Specialty: Immunology/Rheumatology
