Fig. 2

A hospitalized patient with active SLE suddenly presented with hemoptysis, hypoxemia and progressive hemoglobin decline. Timely bedside lung ultrasound revealed diffuse sonographic “white lung” (confluent B-lines) (Panel A), subsequently confirmed by chest HRCT scan (Panel B and C). The patient was treated with intravenous methylprednisolone (250 mg per day for 3 days, and tapered 80 mg per day for 3 days, then 40 mg per day) combined with intravenous belimumab (10 mg/kg) injection. Intensive lung ultrasound monitoring over a period of 14 days indicated B-lines score diminished sequentially (Panel D-F), corresponding improvement in chest HRCT imaging (Panel G and H) and the patient’s condition