Contrary to some media reports, quoting the latest AIIMS findings on Sunanda Tharoor, wife of Congress leader Shashi Tharoor, to claim that she was “in the pink of health” when she died in a South Delhi hotel room this January, the Kerala Institute of Medical Sciences (KIMS) had diagnosed her with having multiple auto-immune disorders.
Sunanda was admitted to KIMS on January 12, five days before she died, and was discharged two days later after she was put through a series of tests. The discharge summary prepared by the KIMS’ Department of Nephrology — which has been shared by her family with the magisterial enquiry team — has stated that she suffered from Sjogren’s Syndrome/Overlap Syndrome and Coeliac disease. She was allergic to penicillin.
Overlap Syndrome is an auto-immune disease in which a patient has symptoms of more than one disease. Sjogren’s Syndrome is a chronic auto-immune disease in which the body’s white blood cells target glands that produce saliva and tears. Coeliac disease is an auto-immune disorder of the small intestine.
The discharge report, a copy of which is with The Hindu , recorded that she had earlier been diagnosed with Lupus, a collection of auto-immune disorders.
According to KIMS findings, the patient had a history of intermittent fever since 8th grade. Usually the fever lasted up to three-four days or it could be of a short duration of 12 hours. She also had a history of fainting episodes, off and on. Sunanda had told the doctors that she had undergone treatment for migraine and at one time, she was told that the headache was due to the Lupus. She also complained of muscle pain/bone pain. She had photosensitivity and small joint arthritis, for which she was prescribed medicines.
