Arterial occlusion causing large bowel infarction--a reflection of clotting diathesis in SLE

The patient, a 44-year old woman with systemic lupus erythematosus, (SLE), developed infarction of the bowel and spleen after occlusion of the inferior mesenteric and splenic arteries, necessitating colectomy and splenectomy. She had had previous cerebral thromboses and a lower limb deep vein thrombosis. Histological examination of the involved vessels showed the presence of thrombus only with the total absence of any vasculitis. The patient demonstrated antibodies to phospholipid - the "lupus anticoagulant" (LA) and antibodies to cardiolipin in serum, both strongly associated with thromboses.