Lupus - the cold, hard facts

N W K Wong; Vt-Y Ng; S Ibrahim; M Slessarev; V Chandran

doi:10.1177/0961203314530485

Lupus - the cold, hard facts

Lupus. 2014 Jul;23(8):837-9. doi: 10.1177/0961203314530485. Epub 2014 Apr 3.

Authors

N W K Wong¹, Vt-Y Ng², S Ibrahim², M Slessarev², V Chandran³

Affiliations

¹ Department of Medicine, McMaster University, Hamilton, Canada; Department of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada; Division of Rheumatology, Department of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada; and Toronto Western Hospital, University Health Network, Toronto, Canada [email protected].
² Department of Medicine, McMaster University, Hamilton, Canada; Department of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada; Division of Rheumatology, Department of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada; and Toronto Western Hospital, University Health Network, Toronto, Canada.
³ Department of Medicine, McMaster University, Hamilton, Canada; Department of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada; Division of Rheumatology, Department of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada; and Toronto Western Hospital, University Health Network, Toronto, Canada Department of Medicine, McMaster University, Hamilton, Canada; Department of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada; Division of Rheumatology, Department of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada; and Toronto Western Hospital, University Health Network, Toronto, Canada.

PMID: 24699313
DOI: 10.1177/0961203314530485

Abstract

Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is a multisystem chronic disease with a multitude of clinical presentations. We review and synthesize how an environmental insult (exposure to extreme cold for a short duration) and endogenous (antiphospholipid antibody syndrome, SLE vasculitis) insults in a susceptible young female with lupus (peripheral arterial disease, smoking, SLE) led to a perfect storm resulting in catastrophic injuries (frostbite).

Keywords: APLAS; SLE; frostbite; vasculitis.

Publication types

Case Reports

MeSH terms

Adult
Cold Temperature / adverse effects*
Female
Foot / pathology*
Frostbite / etiology*
Gangrene / etiology
Humans
Lupus Erythematosus, Systemic / complications*