title: Lupus enteritis as an initial presentation of systemic lupus erythematosus.
abstract: Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is an autoimmune disorder which can affect multiple organs and clinical presentation is often a myriad of symptoms; therefore, the index of suspicion should rise when evaluating patients with multiorgan symptomatology. Lupus enteritis is a distinct subset of SLE, defined as either vasculitis or inflammation of the small bowel, with supportive image and/or biopsy findings. The clinical picture of lupus enteritis is often nonspecific, with mild to severe abdominal pain, diarrhea, and vomiting being the cardinal manifestations. Although considered a form of visceral or serosal vasculitis, lupus enteritis is seldom confirmed on histology, making computerized tomography (CT) the gold standard for diagnosis. Lupus enteritis is generally steroid-responsive, and the route of administration is based on clinical status and organ involvement, with preference for intravenous (IV) route in flares with significant tissue edema. The following case describes a young woman presenting with lupus enteritis and lupus panniculitis as an initial manifestation of SLE, the utilization of abdominal CT in diagnosis, and current treatment protocols used for lupus enteritis.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, Nassau University Medical Center, 2201 Hempstead Turnpike, East Meadow, NY 11554, USA.
authors.forename: Sisira
authors.identifier: 0000-0001-9004-3992
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Sran
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, Nassau University Medical Center, 2201 Hempstead Turnpike, East Meadow, NY 11554, USA.
authors.forename: Manpreet
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Sran
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, Nassau University Medical Center, 2201 Hempstead Turnpike, East Meadow, NY 11554, USA.
authors.forename: Narmisha
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Patel
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, Nassau University Medical Center, 2201 Hempstead Turnpike, East Meadow, NY 11554, USA ; Department of Rheumatology, Nassau University Medical Center, 2201 Hempstead Turnpike, East Meadow, NY 11554, USA.
authors.forename: Prachi
authors.identifier: 0000-0002-1756-1424
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Anand