Gastrointestinal manifestations of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) are common, occurring in about 50% of cases. They are usually mild, in the form of mouth ulcers, nausea, heartburn and mild abdominal pain, but they can be severe in cases of gastrointestinal vasculitis. In this report we describe an unusual combination of SLE complications, namely superior mesenteric artery syndrome (SMAS) and reversible acute obstructive renal failure. This was attributed to raised intra-abdominal pressure and hence intra-abdominal compartment syndrome (IACS) following weight loss secondary to an acute presentation of SLE with gastrointestinal vasculitis.
Keywords: SLE; gastrointestinal; intra-abdominal compartment syndrome; superior mesenteric artery syndrome; vasculitis.