title: Lupus-associated pancreatitis.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Involvement of the pancreas in systemic lupus erythematosus is rare. The purpose of this article is to provide a detailed review of lupus-associated pancreatitis.
  
  
  METHODS
  We describe 3 patients with lupus-associated pancreatitis and review the English literature of the last 30 years, including the demographic, clinical, therapeutic, and prognostic aspects of this disorder.
  
  
  RESULTS
  There were detailed descriptions of 77 patients, 88% were females. Median age was 27 years. In 44% of the patients pancreatitis developed within 1 year of the diagnosis of lupus, and 84% had active lupus at the time of pancreatitis. Abdominal pain was the most frequent pancreatitis-related symptom (88%), followed by nausea or vomiting (67%). In 97% the diagnosis of pancreatitis was based on laboratory evidence of elevated serum amylase or lipase. Abdominal computerized tomography and ultrasonography did not show signs of pancreatic involvement in 24 and 45%, respectively. The mortality rate was 27%; active lupus and some biochemical abnormalities were significantly associated with increased mortality. Treatment with corticosteroids or azathioprine was not associated with increased mortality. On the contrary, mortality was decreased in patients who were treated with these agents after the onset of pancreatitis (20% mortality, compared with 61% among those who were not treated with steroids for their pancreatitis, P = 0.005).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Pancreatitis should be suspected in any SLE patient with abdominal pain. Mortality rate is related to both active lupus and some biochemical markers. In most cases, the onset of pancreatitis appears unrelated to previous treatment with steroids or azathioprine. Moreover, treatment with these medications improves prognosis.
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine A, Rheumatology Service, Shaare-Zedek Medical Center, Jerusalem, Israel. rheum@szmc.org.il
authors.forename: Gideon
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Nesher
authors.forename: Gabriel S
authors.initials: GS
authors.lastname: Breuer
authors.forename: Katherine
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Temprano
authors.forename: Terry L
authors.initials: TL
authors.lastname: Moore
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Dahan
authors.forename: Asher
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Baer
authors.forename: Joseph
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Alberton
authors.forename: Gabriel
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Izbicki
authors.forename: Moshe
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hersch
mesh_terms: D015746:Abdominal Pain / Q000209:etiology; D000208:Acute Disease; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D017809:Fatal Outcome; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008180:Lupus Erythematosus, Systemic / Q000150:complications*; D010195:Pancreatitis / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000209:etiology*