Acute Spontaneous Colonic Perforation in a Case of Newly Confirmed Scleroderma: Case Report

Scleroderma is a group of autoimmune diseases that principally affects the skin, blood vessels, muscles, and viscera. One of the more well-known subgroups of scleroderma is the limited cutaneous form of the multisystem connective tissue disorder known as CREST (calcinosis, Raynaud phenomenon, esophageal dysmotility, sclerodactyly, and telangiectasis) syndrome. In this report, we present a case of a spontaneous colonic bowel perforation in a patient with incomplete features of CREST. Our patient underwent a complicated hospital course involving broad-spectrum antibiotic coverage, surgical hemicolectomy, and immunosuppressives. She was eventually discharged home with a return to functional baseline status after esophageal dysmotility confirmation via manometry. Physicians managing patients with scleroderma ensuing to an emergency department encounter must anticipate the multitude of complications that can occur, as was seen in our patient. The threshold for pursuing imaging and additional tests, in addition to admission, should be relatively low, given the extremely high rates of complications and mortality. Early multidisciplinary involvement with infectious disease, rheumatology, surgery, and other respective specialties is crucial for patient outcome optimization.