Related Experiment Videos
Hemobilia in systemic lupus erythematosus
A J Rhoton1, J H Gilliam, K R Geisinger
1Department of Gastroenterology, Bowman Gray School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC.
Southern Medical Journal
|September 1, 1993
Summary
A young woman with Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE) developed acute cholecystitis. This case highlights hemobilia and bile duct obstruction as a new potential complication of active SLE.
Area of Science:
- Gastroenterology
- Hepatology
- Rheumatology
Background:
- Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE) is a chronic autoimmune disease with diverse clinical manifestations.
- Gastrointestinal and hepatobiliary complications are known but less common in SLE patients.
- Acute cholecystitis, particularly acalculous, is rarely reported as a direct complication of active SLE.
Observation:
- A 22-year-old female with active SLE presented with symptoms suggestive of acute cholecystitis.
- Diagnostic imaging, including abdominal ultrasonography and a biliary patency scan, revealed acalculous cholecystitis and common bile duct obstruction.
- Surgical exploration confirmed acalculous cholecystitis and identified hemobilia.
Findings:
- The patient experienced hemobilia, confirmed by intraoperative findings and liver biopsy.
- Acalculous cholecystitis and common bile duct obstruction were the primary intra-abdominal pathologies.
- Surgical intervention successfully resolved the patient's acute symptoms.
Implications:
- This case report suggests that hemobilia secondary to acalculous cholecystitis and common bile duct obstruction may represent a novel complication of active SLE.
- Clinicians should consider SLE as a potential underlying factor in young patients presenting with unexplained hepatobiliary complications.
- Further research is warranted to elucidate the pathogenic mechanisms linking SLE activity to these specific gastrointestinal manifestations.