The use of tacrolimus for recurrent lupus enteritis: a case report.
BACKGROUND
Patients with lupus enteritis sometimes experience recurrence. In such cases, the addition of cyclophosphamide to the treatment regimen is recommended. However, an appropriate treatment has not been established in cases where cyclophosphamide failed to prevent the disease.


METHODS
An 18-year-old Japanese woman was admitted for a recurrence of lupus enteritis. One year before admission she was treated for lupus enteritis with high-dose corticosteroid together with intravenous cyclophosphamide pulse therapy. Upon admission, she was administered again with high-dose corticosteroid and her abdominal pain rapidly subsided. Tacrolimus was later used as an immunosuppressive agent and a complete remission has been maintained.


CONCLUSIONS
Tacrolimus can be a useful agent for recurrent lupus enteritis that is resistant to conventional therapy.
Shirai
Tsuyoshi
T
Department of Rheumatology and Hematology, Tohoku University Graduate School of Medicine, Seiryo-cho, Aoba-ku, Sendai, 980-8574, Japan. y_hirabayashi@doctor.nifty.jp.
Hirabayashi
Yasuhiko
Y
Watanabe
Ryu
R
Tajima
Yumi
Y
Fujii
Hiroshi
H
Takasawa
Naruhiko
N
Ishii
Tomonori
T
Harigae
Hideo
H