Acute gastrointestinal manifestations of systemic lupus erythematosus

Systemic lupus erythematosus is a common multisystem disorder of young women, and gastrointestinal symptoms are a frequent clinical manifestation. There is serious danger that appropriate therapy may be delayed in the patient with an acute abdomen when systemic lupus erythematosus is not considered as a cause. This paper describes four patients with acute abdomen as a manifestation of systemic lupus erythematosus. They responded dramatically and without complication to steroid therapy. The symptoms recurred in one patient but responded to plasmapheresis and intravenous administration of cyclophosphamide. The other gastrointestinal manifestations of systemic lupus erythematosus and their pathogenesis are discussed. Management requires consideration of systemic lupus erythematosus as the cause of acute abdomen, paracentesis for culture and treatment with high doses of steroids with or without broad-spectrum antibiotics. If there is no notable improvement within 24 hours laparotomy should be performed.