[In Process Citation]

Area of Science:

• Rheumatology
• Vascular Medicine
• Pathology

Background:

• Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is a chronic autoimmune disease.
• Large-vessel vasculitis is a rare but serious complication of SLE.
• Vascular involvement in SLE can significantly impact patient prognosis and management.

Purpose of the Study:

• To report two cases of large-vessel vasculitis involving the external iliac and femoral arteries in patients with SLE.
• To discuss the clinical significance, diagnostic challenges, and prognostic implications of this rare manifestation.
• To correlate histological findings with the clinical presentation of vasculitis in SLE.

Main Methods:

• Presentation of two distinct case reports of female patients diagnosed with SLE.
• Clinical evaluation including assessment of systemic symptoms and polyarthritis.
• Vascular imaging (details not specified in abstract) to identify arterial occlusion.
• Histopathological examination of affected arterial tissue in one case.

Main Results:

• Both patients presented with occlusion of the right external iliac and femoral arteries.
• The vasculitis occurred within the initial years of SLE diagnosis.
• Histology in one case revealed fibrous thickening of the intima and vasculitis of small vessels in the adventitia.
• General symptoms and polyarthritis were noted as other SLE manifestations.

Conclusions:

• Large-vessel vasculitis, specifically affecting iliac and femoral arteries, is a rare but significant manifestation of SLE.
• Early recognition of this vascular complication is crucial for prognosis and guiding treatment strategies.
• The findings support the concept that small vessel vasculitis is a characteristic feature of lupus erythematosus, even when large vessel involvement is present.