Intestinal angina due to atherosclerosis in a 45-year-old systemic lupus erythematosus patient

We report a patient with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) who developed progressive emaciation and postprandial abdominal pain with a 27-year history of corticosteroid treatment. The patient was diagnosed as having intestinal angina based on computed tomography that showed severe stenosis of the superior mesenteric artery (SMA) in addition to complete occlusion of the celiac and inferior mesenteric arteries. Histopathology of the SMA and abdominal aorta showed atherosclerosis with no vasculitis or thrombus formation. Intestinal angina should actively be considered as a possible cause of recurrent abdominal pain in SLE patients, particularly in those with a long history of disease.