[Enteritis and cystitis - a cause of abdominal pain in lupus].
We present a case of a 28-year-old black female patient with a previous diagnosis of overlapping syndrome of lupus and rheumatoid arthritis, treated with corticosteroids and methotrexate, who was admitted to our department due to abdominal pain with vomits and diarrhea for 15 days. On complementary evaluation elevated C-reactive protein and erythrocyte sedimentation rate, lactate dehydrogenase and amylase levels were detected, C3 was reduced, blood, faeces, peritoneal fluid and urine cultures were negative; abdominal computerized tomography disclosed jejunal thickening with parietal edema, bilateral ureterohydronephrosis and bladder parietal thickening; on endoscopy with biopsy there was chronic pangastritis and duodenitis; cystoscopy with biopsy showed chronic cystitis. Those aspects suggested lupus enteritis and cystitis which appear rarely associated and have poor prognosis. This patient was treated with high dose corticosteroids followed by azathioprine and prednisolone, with clinical and imaging improvement.
Marques
M Raquel
MR
Serviço de Medicina IV do Hospital Pulido Valente - Centro Hospitalar Lisboa Norte. mraquelmarques@netcabo.pt
Matos
Catarina
C
Oliveira
Susana
S
D015746:Abdominal Pain / Q000209:etiology*; D000328:Adult; D003556:Cystitis / Q000150:complications* / Q000209:etiology; D004751:Enteritis / Q000150:complications* / Q000209:etiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008180:Lupus Erythematosus, Systemic / Q000150:complications*