Genitourinary complications of systemic lupus erythematosus

A 14-year-old African-American girl was diagnosed with antiphospholipid-positive systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) in July 1994. The course was complicated by nephrotic syndrome, sepsis, hemolytic anemia, acute renal failure, saphenous vein thrombosis, cutaneous vasculitis, mesenteric vasculitis, appendicitis, hemorrhagic cystitis, and avascular necrosis of the hips. In August 1997, she developed ovarian and fallopian tube complications secondary to SLE. Genitourinary complications of SLE, however, are uncommon, and ovarian vasculitis has not previously been reported as a complication of SLE. This report describes the course of an adolescent patient with SLE and focuses specifically on her genitourinary complications.