Looking Beyond Lupus in Lupus

Abstract

Haematological abnormalities are a common finding in Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE) patients. The wide spectrum includes anaemia, cytopenias, thrombosis as well as bleeding. Among the bleeding disorders, qualitative coagulation defects can be rarely encountered because of clotting factor inhibitors. More uncommon is the occurrence of quantitative clotting factor deficiencies. Here, we describe a rare cause of abdominal pain in a patient with SLE who developed perinephric and colonic sub mucosal haematomas owing to a rare association with acquired factor XIII deficiency which was diagnosed on quantitative assays and effectively treated with cryoprecipitate and fresh frozen plasma.

Keywords

• abdominal haematomas
• factor xiii deficiency
• systemic lupus erythematosus