Acute abdomen in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus and antiphospholipid syndrome: importance of early diagnosis and treatment

Abstract

Systemic lupus erithematosus (SLE) is an autoimmune disease with multiorgan involvement caused principally by vasculitis of small vessels. The gastrointestinal tract is one of the most frequently affected by SLE, with abdominal pain as the most common symptom. An early diagnosis and treatment of lupus enteritis is essential to avoid complications like hemorrhage or perforation, with up to 50 % of mortality rate. However, differential diagnosis sometimes is difficult, especially with other types of gastrointestinal diseases as digestive involvement of antiphospholipid syndrome (APS), moreover when both entities may coexist. We describe the case of a patient with both diseases that was diagnosed with lupus enteritis and treated with steroid therapy; the patient had an excellent response.

Keywords

• Lupus eritematoso sistémico
• Síndrome antifosfolípido
• Enteritis lúpica
• Vasculitis
• Esteroides