Ischemic Colitis Associated with Systemic Lupus Erythematosus; Report of a Case
A case of ischemic colitis associated with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is herein described. A female patient, who had been diagnosed as SLE, complained of left upper quadrant pain and anal bleeding. Barium enema examination demonstrated involvement of the splenic flexure with thumbprinting, and colonoscopy revealed reddish, edematous mucosa with multiple erosions and longitudinal ulcers in the left side of the colon. Although follow-up colonoscopy performed four weeks later confirmed improvement of the lesion, subsequent colonoscopic observations showed recurrence of a shallow ulceration in the previously affected segment of the colon. The ischemic colitis in this case seems to have been prolonged because of the patient's underlying disease, SLE.
