Abstract
Objective To determine the clinical features of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) patients with pancreatitis. Methods The medical records of 46 patients with pancreatitis among 5 233 SLE patients admitted into Peking Union Medical College Hospital from January 1983 to January 2012 were reviewed for retrospective analyses of clinical manifestations, laboratory tests, radiological findings, treatments and prognosis. Results The prevalence of pancreatitis was 0.88% (46/5 233) in SLE patients. There were 7 males and 39 females with an average age of (33±13) years. Acute pancreatitis (n=40) occurred more frequently than chronic pancreatitis (n=6). It appeared mostly in active course of SLE with an involvement of more organs. Hypertriglyceridemia was found in 81.0% (17/21) lupus-associated acute pancreatitis patients. The average level of triglycerides in severe acute pancreatitis was higher than that in mild acute pancreatitis (P=0.023). The mortality rate of lupus-associated acute pancreatitis was 37.5% (15/40). Most patients received high-dose glucocorticoid and immunosuppressants. Acute pancreatitis appeared in only 5 patients during the course of steroids pulse therapy and most symptoms were mild. Concomitant infections were correlated with poor prognosis (P<0.01). The most common manifestations of lupus-associated chronic pancreatitis were abdominal pain, jaundice and pancreatic enlargement. Autoimmune pancreatitis could be the initial manifestation of lupus. Conclusions Pancreatitis with SLE includes acute and chronic pancreatitis. Among them, acute pancreatitis is more common and severe and it usually occurs in patients with active SLE with a high mortality. Hypertriglyceridemia may induce and aggravate lupus-associated acute pancreatitis. Early aggressive management with high-dose steroids and immunosuppressants is recommended. Concomitant infection is a risk factor of poor prognosis. Key words: Lupus erythematosus, systemic; Acute pancreatitis, necrotizing; Pancreatitis, chronic
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