Acute Pancreatitis in Systemic Lupus Erythematosus: A Series of 27 Cases

Abstract

Acute pancreatitis is a rare and potentially fatal complication of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). This study aimed to describe the epidemiological, clinical, radiological, and evolutionary characteristics of acute pancreatitis (AP) in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus. Data from patients who met the revised ACR EULAR criteria for the diagnosis of LES were analyzed retrospectively. SLE activity was assessed according to the SLEDAI activity index, with a mean estimate of 14. This study included 400 patients with LES admitted between January 2010 and December 2022, of whom 27 patients were diagnosed with pancreatitis. The prevalence of pancreatitis in patients with SLE was 6.75% (27/400). Acute pancreatitis occurred mainly during active SLE, and involved more organs. The outcome was good in 60% of cases, with a 40% mortality rate in lupus-associated AP. After ruling out other causes, acute pancreatitis can be associated with SLE, if it occurs concomitantly with other signs of lupus flare-up. The diagnosis is made when the symptoms improve with specific treatment. The aim of our work is to describe the epidemiological profile, modes of presentation of lupus pancreatitis, therapeutic features and evolutionary profile of patients.