Digital Ulcers as an Initial Manifestation of Systemic Lupus Erythematosus

Abstract

Digital ulcers (DUs) and gangrene are common skin manifestations of connective tissue diseases, especially systemic sclerosis. Raynaud's phenomenon (RP) is an almost universal manifestation of systemic sclerosis, with 95% of all patients being affected, and resulting in DUs in approximately 30% of the patients each year. Although RP may be present in approximately 25-50% of the patients, DUs are relatively rare in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and never present as an initial manifestation of disease. In this case report DUs appear as the initial manifestation of SLE in a young woman with a capillaroscopic scleroderma pattern and elevated systolic pulmonary arterial pressure.