Abdominal computed tomography in systemic lupus erythematosus

Acute flare of systemic lupus erythematosus with extensive gastrointestinal involvement: A case report and review of literature

BACKGROUND

Lupus mesenteric vasculitis (LMV) is a serious condition that may occur as an acute manifestation of gastrointestinal (GI) involvement and is not easily diagnosed by physicians. Delayed diagnosis and treatment of LMV may lead to rapid disease progression and can be life threatening.

CASE SUMMARY

A previously healthy 27-year-old woman presented with abdominal pain following a history of fatigue and consumption of cold water. Laboratory investigations, physical examinations, and enhanced abdominal computed tomography (CT) suggested systemic lupus erythematosus complicated by LMV. She received treatments, such as GI decompression, somatostatin, glucocorticoids, and immunosuppressants, and was evaluated using color ultrasonography. Twenty days later, the patient reported no stomach discomfort and was able to consume semi-liquid food. Laboratory investigations showed that inflammatory factors decreased to normal levels and complement levels increased slightly. One year after discharged, she recovered with methylprednisolone being tapered to 4 mg per day, mycophenolate mofetil to 0.75 g bid, and hydroxychloroquine to 0.2 g bid; however, only C3 complement level was slightly below the normal level.

CONCLUSION

Early diagnosis of LMV is essential for successful treatment; this depends on a combination of clinical manifestations, laboratory investigations, and imaging findings. Enhanced CT is preferred, but ultrasonography can be used for prompt screening and follow-up.

Lupus enteritis: A 10-year experience in a single Latin American center

OBJECTIVE

The objective is to compare the clinical and laboratory characteristics of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) patients with and without lupus enteritis (LE) and to identify the factors associated with the occurrence of LE.

METHODS

We performed a retrospective, case-control study in hospitalized patients with SLE who were admitted to our tertiary hospital between January 2012 and December 2021. Sixteen LE patients (cases) were matched (1:3 ratio) for sex and birth year with 48 non-LE patients (controls). Univariable and multivariable logistic regression analyses were used to identify the variables associated with LE.

RESULTS

Of 2,479 SLE patients who were admitted to our hospital as inpatients, 16 (0.65%) were diagnosed as having LE. All patients, cases and controls, were of Mestizo ethnicity. SLE was diagnosed simultaneously with the first episode of LE in 10 (62.5%) patients. The median time from SLE diagnosis to the first episode of LE was 7 (IQR 0-78) months. LE patients had a shorter median disease duration [7 (0-78) vs 34 (9.5-79) months], and a significantly longer hospital stay (28.3 ± 15.8 vs 6.5 ± 7.9 days, p < 0.001) than non-LE patients. Most LE patients (93.8%) had concomitant lupus nephritis. LE patients had higher SLEDAI-2K scores than those without LE (20.5 ± 9.4 vs 9.8 ± 10.4, p < 0.001). By multivariable analysis, a higher SLEDAI-2K score (OR 1.10, 95% CI 1.02-1.18; p = 0.015) was independently associated with LE occurrence after adjusting for cutaneous involvement, lymphocyte count, serum creatinine, and serum complement C4. Recurrence was observed in two patients (12.5%), both with a bowel wall thickening > 8 mm. The two patients with large intestine-dominant LE developed intestinal pseudo-obstruction. No patient had life-threatening complications (intestinal hemorrhage, infarction, or perforation), and there were no deaths induced directly by LE itself.

CONCLUSION

In patients of Mestizo ethnicity, LE occurs during the early course of SLE, frequently is one of the presenting manifestations of SLE, and in most cases, it presents with concomitant lupus nephritis. Higher levels of disease activity at diagnosis were independently associated with LE occurrence and when recurrences occur, they do so in the context of severe wall thickness.

Spontaneous perirenal hemorrhage in systemic lupus erythematosus: a rare case report and literature review

Background

Spontaneous perirenal hemorrhage is relatively uncommon but may be life-threatening. There are some challenges in early diagnosis due to the lack of specific presentations.

Case presentation

We report a case of spontaneous perirenal hemorrhage in a newly diagnosed systemic lupus erythematosus patient who initially presented with non-specific flank pain. Weakness and unstable vital signs were noted on admission. Abdominal ultrasonography and computed tomography revealed a sizable perirenal hematoma over the left retroperitoneal cavity. Renal arteriography identified active extravasation of contrast media from a distant branch of the left renal artery, and selective embolization effectively obliterated the bleeding spot. After cessation of bleeding, the patient received intensive immunosuppressive therapy for acute kidney injury and encephalopathy due to lupus. Her mental status recovered successfully, and she was withdrawn from short-term hemodialysis.

Conclusions

Spontaneous perirenal hemorrhage in the condition of systemic lupus erythematosus was a rare clinical entity with life-threatening potential. Early accurate diagnosis of spontaneous renal hemorrhage requires both detailed clinical examination and radiologic studies. Interventional embolization is essential and effective for both diagnosis and treatment. A high index of suspicion is necessary to avoid missing this potentially fatal syndrome, especially in patients with an increased risk of bleeding.

Clinico-Laboratory Features and Associated Factors of Lupus Mesenteric Vasculitis

Introduction

Lupus mesenteric vasculitis (LMV) is a rare but potentially life-threatening clinical entity in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) patients.

Objective

The present study was initiated to explore the clinical features and associated factors of LMV in SLE patients.

Methods

We conducted a retrospective study on 50 cases of SLE patients with lupus mesenteric vasculitis (LMV) from January 2010 to December 2019 and 89 cases of non-LMV-SLE patients with similar demographic and comorbidities were included as control. All the data regarding clinical features, laboratory findings, and treatment were reviewed independently by two experts in the field. Both univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were employed to identify the associated factors of LMV.

Results

The incidence of LMV was 2.9% among hospitalized SLE patients in the current study. The most frequent symptom and physical sign of LMV were respectively abdominal pain (48, 96%) and abdominal tenderness (45, 90%). Through univariate and subsequent multivariate analysis, oral ulcer (OR, 4.25; P = 0.024), urinary tract involvement (OR, 5.23; P = 0.021), and elevated D-dimer (OR, 1.121; P = 0.008) were demonstrated to be positively associated with LMV, while percentage of lymphocytes (OR, 0.928; P = 0.004) and complement 3 (OR, 0.048; P = 0.008) were negatively correlated with LMV.

Conclusions

Oral ulcer, urinary tract involvement, reduced percentage of lymphocytes and complement 3, elevated D-dimer could be associated factors for LMV in SLE patients.

Systemic lupus erythematosus gastrointestinal involvement: a computed tomography-based assessment

Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) gastrointestinal (GI) complication is characterized by multi-segment and multi-compartment involvement. The aim of this study is to develop a computed tomography (CT) image-based system for disease evaluation. SLE patients with GI involvement from two independent cohorts were retrospectively included. Baseline abdominal CT scan with intravenous and oral contrast was obtained from each individual. A CT scoring system incorporating the extent of GI tract involvement and intestinal wall thickness, along with extra-GI compartment involvement, was developed and validated. The outcome measurement was the time to GI functional recovery, defined as the time to tolerable per os (PO) intake ≥50% of ideal calories (PO50). A total of 54 and 37 patients with SLE GI involvement were enrolled in the derivation and validation cohorts, respectively. The CT scores for SLE GI involvement were positively correlated with patients' time to PO50 (r = 0.57, p < 0.0001, derivation cohort; r = 0.42, p = 0.0093, validation cohort). Patients with a CT score ≤ 3 had a shorter time to PO50 (median time of 0 day) in pooled cohort, whereas those with a CT score > 3 incurred a significantly prolonged recovery with a median time to PO50 of 13 days (p < 0.0001). The CT-based scoring system may facilitate more accurate assessment and individualized management of SLE patients with GI involvement.

MDCT Imaging of Acute Bladder Pathology

In this review, we will discuss and illustrate the pathophysiology, presentation, and multidetector computed tomography findings associated with emergent bladder conditions, limiting our discussion to traumatic, infectious, and obstructive etiologies. After reviewing computed tomography cystographic technique, the commonly utilized classification systems for bladder trauma will be presented with illustrative examples of associated typical and more infrequent secondary injuries and complications. Next, the pathogenesis and imaging appearance of both mechanical and neurogenic acute urinary retention will be addressed, including less common though potentially pathognomonic obstructive etiologies including urethral calculi and ectopic ureteroceles. Finally, we will review and illustrate the imaging features of both inflammatory and infectious cystitis, including hemorrhagic and emphysematous variants, as well as the potentially encountered secondary complications.

Is there an ethnic difference in the prevalence of lupus cystitis? A report of six cases

Lupus cystitis was rare but frequently resulted in obstructive uropathy and had a strong association with gastrointestinal(GI) symptoms. We treated six patients with systemic lupus erythematosus(SLE) and obstructive uropathy from January 1996 to December 2001 in a university hospital. Evidence of cystitis was obtained from cystoscopic biopsy or the presence of thickened bladder wall in image study. Similar to other reports, five patients had GI manifestations such as abdominal pain, nausea/vomiting, diarrhoea or ileus. In addition, mesenteric lymphadenopathy or pancreatitis was noted in three patients. Two patients had been treated for idiopathic thrombocytopenicpurpura (ITP), four and 20 years ago, respectively. All six patients had antibodies to double-stranded DNA (dsDNA). Five patients each had antibodies to cardiolipin (IgG aCL) or SSA. The high prevalence of anti-SSA had also been reported in Chinese lupus patients with intestinal pseudo-obstruction, a clinical manifestation frequently associated with bilateral ureterohydronephrosis. Two patients died of intractable infection after the surgical procedures for persistent ureterohydronephrosis and both patients had antibodies to ribosomal P proteins. Lupus cystitis might not be so rare in Chinese patients with SLE. The diagnosis should be kept in mind when lupus patients have urinary and/or GI symptoms.

Lupus mesenteric vasculitis: clinical features and associated factors for the recurrence and prognosis of disease

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate the clinical characteristics of lupus mesenteric vasculitis (LMV) and identify the potential factors and appropriate treatments that are associated with disease relapse and prognosis in LMV.

METHODS

A retrospective cohort study was performed among patients admitted to the First Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yet-sen University between 2002 and 2011. Demographic information, clinical symptoms, laboratory findings, imaging characteristics like abdominal CT scan, ultrasonography, medications including corticosteroid, cyclophosphamide, and other immunosuppressive agents, and outcomes were documented. The endpoints of the study were defined as occurrence of severe complications that needed surgical intervention, disease recurrence, or death.

RESULTS

Out of 3823 systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) patients, 97 were diagnosed with mesenteric vasculitis with the overall prevalence of 2.5%. Among these 97 LMV patients, 13 died because of serious complications (13/97, 13.4%) and 2 presented intestinal perforation during the induction therapy stage. The logistic regression multivariate analysis indicated that leukopenia [peripheral WBC, odds ratio (OR) = 0.640, 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.456-0.896, P = 0.009], hypoalbuminemia (serum albumin, OR = 0.891, 95% CI: 0.798-0.994, P = 0.039) and elevated serum amylase (OR = 7.719, 95% CI: 1.795-33.185, P = 0.006) were positively associated with the occurrence of serious complications, while intravenous cyclophosphamide (CYC) therapy inhibited the occurrence of serious complications (OR = 0.220, 95% CI: 0.053-0.903, P = 0.036). A total of 79 patients who achieved remission were followed-up for 2-96 months and 18 cases experienced disease relapse (18/79, 22.8%). The statistical analysis adjusted by Cox proportional hazards models indicated that high-dose CYC therapy (≥ 1.0 g/m(2)/month) was a protective factor for disease relapse and led to better outcomes [hazard ratio (HR) = 0.209, 95% CI: 0.049-0.887, P = 0.034], while the severe thickness of the bowel wall (>8mm) was a risk factor (HR = 7.308, 95% CI: 1.740-30.696, P = 0.007). LMV and lupus cystitis occurred concurrently in 22 (22/97, 22.7%) patients, and the symptoms of urinary tract resolved after treatment with corticosteroid and immunosupressants.

CONCLUSION

LMV is one of the serious complications of SLE with high mortality. The current study demonstrated that leukopenia, hypoalbuminemia, and elevated serum amylase were associated with severe adverse events, while CYC therapy led to better outcomes during remission-induction stage. Severe thickness of the bowel was a risk factor while high-dose CYC therapy was a protective factor for disease relapse in intensification therapy stage. It is necessary to evaluate the urinary tract involvement once LMV is diagnosed due to the frequent coexistence of these 2 diseases.

Imaging of systemic lupus erythematosus. Part II: gastrointestinal, renal, and musculoskeletal manifestations

Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is a chronic, multisystem autoimmune disease that has a relapsing and remitting course. It has a wide range of presentations with various organ manifestations. In this review, we have compiled the radiological findings of gastrointestinal, renal, and musculoskeletal manifestations of SLE.

Imaging of renovascular disease

A variety of different imaging techniques have been used for the diagnosis of renal vascular diseases. The wide range of renal vascular diseases include congenital renal artery and vein variations, aneurysms, arteriovenous malformations (AVMs), renal artery stenosis, renal vein thrombosis, vasculitis, and traumatic injuries, such as dissection and vascular pedicle injury. In this article, we discuss the role of invasive and noninvasive imaging in each of these abnormalities and their typical features. Because renal artery stenosis is an important vascular abnormality encountered in clinical practice, imaging of this entity will be emphasized.

Lupus mesenteric vasculitis can cause acute abdominal pain in patients with SLE

Lupus mesenteric vasculitis (LMV) is a unique clinical entity found in patients who present with gastrointestinal manifestations of systemic lupus erythematosus, and is the main cause of acute abdominal pain in these patients. LMV usually presents as acute abdominal pain with sudden onset, severe intensity and diffuse localization. Other causes of abdominal pain, such as acute gastroenteritis, peptic ulcers, acute pancreatitis, peritonitis, and other reasons for abdominal surgery should be ruled out. Prompt and accurate diagnosis of LMV is critical to ensure implementation of appropriate immunosuppressive therapy and avoidance of unnecessary surgical intervention. The pathology of LMV comprises immune-complex deposition and complement activation, with subsequent submucosal edema, leukocytoclastic vasculitis and thrombus formation; most of these changes are confined to small mesenteric vessels. Abdominal CT is the most useful tool for diagnosing LMV, which is characterized by the presence of target signs, comb signs, and other associated findings. The presence of autoantibodies against phospholipids and endothelial cells might provide information about the likelihood of recurrence of LMV. Immediate, high-dose, intravenous steroid therapy can lead to a favorable outcome and prevent serious complications such as bowel ischemia, necrosis and perforation.

Abdominal Manifestations of Systemic Lupus Erythematosus: Spectrum of Imaging Findings

Systemic lupus erythematosus is an immune-mediated syndrome in which the immune response is to non–organ-specific antigens, and virtually every organ in the abdominal cavity may become involved. Only renal involvement forms part of the diagnostic criteria, however, a combination of typically nonspecific findings, including peritoneal surface, enteric, renal, renal tract, pancreatic, adrenal, hepatobiliary, and splenic manifestations, should be looked for in patients with known lupus or other connective tissue disease who are undergoing abdominal imaging and may suggest the diagnosis in patients presenting with an acute abdomen. Our work presents the spectrum of imaging findings of abdominal manifestations of systemic lupus erythematosus.

Postpartum spontaneous colonic perforation due to antiphospholipid syndrome

The antiphospholipid syndrome (APS) is a multi-systemic disease being characterized by the presence of antiphospholipid antibodies that involves both arterial and venous systems resulting in arterial or venous thrombosis, fetal loss, thrombocytopenia, leg ulcers, livedo reticularis, chorea, and migraine. We document a previously unreported case of a 37-year-old female in whom APS was first manifested by infarction and cecal perforation following cesarean section. At laparotomy the underlying cause of colonic perforation was not clear and after resection of the affected bowel an ileo-colostomy was performed. The diagnosis of APS was established during post-operative hospital stay and the patient was commenced on warfarin. Eventually, she made a full recovery and had her stoma reversed after 4 mo. Pregnancy poses an increased risk of complications in women with APS and requires a more aggressive approach to the obstetric care. This should include full anticoagulation in the puerperium and frequent doppler ultrasound monitoring of uterine and umbilical arteries to detect complications such as pre-eclampsia and placental insufficiency.

Gastrointestinal symptomatology as first manifestation of systemic erythematous lupus

Background. Systemic lupus erithematodes (SLE) is chronic, often febrile, multisystemic disease unknown origin and relapsing course which affects connective tissue of the skin, joints, kidney and serous membranes. Gastrointestinal manifestations are rarely the first sign of systemic lupus erythematosus. Case report. We presented a female patient, 35 years old, whose first symptoms of SLE were paralitic ileus (chronic intestinal pseudo-obstruction) and polyserositis (pleural effusion and ascites). Except for high parameters of inflammation, leucopenia and thrombocytopenia, all immunological and laboratory tests for SLE were negative in the onset of the disease. During next six months the patient had clinical signs of paralitic ileus several times and was twice operated with progressive malabsorptive syndrome. The full picture of SLE was manifested seven months later associated with lupus nephritis. Treatment with cyclophosphamide, corticosteroids and total parenteral nutrition (30 days) induced stable remission of the disease. Conclusion. The SLE can be initially manifested with gastroenterological symptoms without any other clinical and immunologic parameters of the disease. If in patients with SLE and gastrointestinal tract involvement malabsorption syndrom is developed, a treatment success depends on both immunosupressive therapy and total parenteral nutrition.

Investigations and management of gastrointestinal and hepatic manifestations of systemic lupus erythematosus

Gastrointestinal (GI) manifestations of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) are protean. Any part of the GI tract and the hepatobiliary system can be involved. Up to two-third of SLE patients develop GI symptoms at some stage of their illnesses. Clinical presentations of GI lupus are non-specific and can be difficult to differentiate from infective, thrombotic, therapy-related and non-SLE etiologies. Clinical acumen and appropriate endoscopic, biopsy and imaging procedures are essential for establishing the correct diagnosis. Acute abdominal pain in SLE patients can herald an intra-abdominal catastrophe and should be evaluated promptly. Surgical intervention should be instituted without delay if conservative management fails or when there is clinical or radiological suspicion of visceral perforation or intra-abdominal collections.

Radiologic investigation of rheumatic diseases

This article reviews the current use of the wide variety of imaging modalities now available, presenting the imaging features of common and important causes of acute and chronic rheumatic disorders including juvenile idiopathic arthritis, spondyloarthropathies/enthesitis-related arthritis, sepsis, autoimmune diseases, vasculitis, and osteoporosis.

Unusual causes of colonic wall thickening on computed tomography

Computed tomography (CT) appearances in "colitis" are often non-specific, and include mural thickening and mesenteric fat stranding. In the western world, the majority of cases will have, or be subsequently diagnosed with, inflammatory bowel disease, pseudomembranous colitis or ischaemic colitis. However, other rare conditions may also produce these rather non-specific signs. We present a number of cases demonstrating colonic wall thickening on CT due to rarer diagnoses, which are correlated with the histopathological features. Some of these CT appearances have not been described previously in the literature.

CT evaluation of renovascular disease

Computed tomography (CT) plays an important role in evaluation and management of primary renovascular disease. Nonenhanced CT is useful for demonstrating renal hemorrhage, renal parenchymal or vascular calcifications, and masses. Contrast material-enhanced CT is essential to identify global or regional nephrographic abnormalities resulting from the vascular process (eg, renal infarcts, ischemia secondary to renal artery stenosis, arteriovenous communications). In addition, renal manifestations of a systemic disease (eg, vasculitis, thromboembolic disease) can be seen at CT. In trauma, occlusion of the main renal artery can be accurately diagnosed with contrast-enhanced CT. In cases of spontaneous renal hemorrhage without an apparent cause (eg, vasculitis, coagulopathy), a careful CT study should be performed to exclude renal cell carcinoma. The presence of fat in a hemorrhagic renal mass larger than 4 cm in diameter is characteristic of angiomyolipoma complicated by hemorrhage. Acute renal vein thrombosis appears as a clot in a distended renal vein, whereas renal vein retraction with collateral vessels is highly indicative of chronic thrombosis. Helical CT, especially with multiplanar two-dimensional and three-dimensional reconstruction following an intravenous injection of iodinated contrast material, has greatly improved our ability to directly image the proximal renal arteries and detect vascular lesions.

Gastrointestinal manifestations of systemic lupus erythematosus

Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) can involve any part of the gastrointestinal tract. In this review, we list the gastrointestinal manifestations of SLE and analyze current approaches in investigating and treating these common conditions. Abdominal symptoms and signs may be due to SLE or due to medications used in the treatment of SLE. In patients with abdominal pain and active SLE, it is critical to diagnose vasculitis or thrombosis with appropriate scanning and institute early immunosuppressive or surgical treatment.

Overview of the radiology of connective tissue disorders in children

This review article describes the imaging finding of the connective tissue disorders in children. The radiological features of the following conditions are described; the spondyloarthropathics, systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), dermatomyositis, scleroderma, the vasculitides, Kawasaki disease, synovitis, acne, pustulosis, hyperostosis, osteitis (SAPHO), and focal myositis. The features on several integrated imaging techniques are described.

CT features of systemic lupus erythematosus in patients with acute abdominal pain: emphasis on ischemic bowel disease

PURPOSE

To evaluate the computed tomographic (CT) features of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) in patients with acute abdominal pain. Special emphasis was placed on the analysis of ischemic bowel disease.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

The authors retrospectively reviewed the images from 39 abdominal CT examinations performed in 33 patients with SLE and acute abdominal pain. Images were evaluated for bowel wall changes, mesenteric changes, fluid collection, retroperitoneal lymphadenopathy, peritoneal enhancement, and hepatomegaly as well as for changes in other abdominal organs. Ischemic bowel disease was diagnosed if at least three of the following signs were seen: bowel wall thickening, target sign, dilatation of intestinal segments, engorgement of mesenteric vessels, and increased attenuation of mesenteric fat.

RESULTS

Thirty-one (79%) of the 39 examinations had CT findings diagnostic of ischemic bowel disease, including symmetric bowel wall thickening (n = 29), target sign (n = 26), and mesenteric vascular engorgement and haziness (n = 31). In 24 cases, bowel wall thickening was multifocal, with variable length, and did not appear to be confined to a single vascular territory.

CONCLUSION

The most common CT finding in patients with SLE and acute abdominal pain is ischemic bowel disease. CT is useful for detecting the primary cause of gastrointestinal symptoms, planning treatment, and monitoring for infarction or perforation.

Intestinal (mesenteric) vasculopathy. II. Ischemic colitis and chronic mesenteric ischemia

Ischemic colitis accounts for approximately half of all cases of mesenteric vasculopathy. The clinical presentation varies depending on underlying cause, extent of vascular obstruction, rapidity of ischemic insult, degree of collateral circulation, and presence of comorbidity. Ischemic colitis is usually diagnosed by colonoscopy. Only approximately 20% of patients require surgery because of signs or laboratory findings of peritonitis or because of clinical deterioration. Approximately 20% of patients develop chronic colitis from irreversible colonic ischemic injury, which manifests clinically as persistent diarrhea, rectal bleeding, or weight loss and endoscopically as a colonic stricture or mass. Chronic mesenteric ischemia is almost always caused by significant atherosclerotic stenosis involving at least two mesenteric arteries, usually the superior mesenteric artery and celiac axis. The classic symptomatic triad of postprandial pain, fear of eating, and involuntary weight loss occurs with advanced disease.