Lymphocytic Colitis Associated to Systemic Lupus Erythematosus in a Young Woman

Salem Bouomrani^{1, 2,} , Souad Yahyaoui¹, Mouna Guermazi^{1, 2} and Nesrine Regaïeg^{1, 2}

¹Department of Internal medicine, Military Hospital of Gabes, Gabes 6000, Tunisia

²Sfax Faculty of Medicine, University of Sfax, Sfax 3029, Tunisia

Cite this paper:
Salem Bouomrani, Souad Yahyaoui, Mouna Guermazi and Nesrine Regaïeg. Lymphocytic Colitis Associated to Systemic Lupus Erythematosus in a Young Woman. American Journal of Medical Case Reports. 2019; 7(11):274-276. doi: 10.12691/ajmcr-7-11-3

Abstract

Introduction: Gastrointestinal symptoms are common in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and are often difficult to interpret. Specific lupus involvement (lupus enteritis) typically affects the jejunum and ileum, whereas colonic and rectal involvement remains rare. Lymphocytic colitis (LC) associated with SLE remains exceptional and unusual. We report an original observation of LC occurring in a 35-year-old patient with SLE. Case report: 35-year-old woman, having in her medical history a Hashimoto thyroiditis diagnosed for four years and a SLE diagnosed for three years, consulted for chronic fluid diarrhea, not improved by symptomatic treatment, and associated for two weeks with rectorrhagia. Somatic examination, basic biological tests, stool culture and parasitological stool examination were without abnormalities. Colonoscopy revealed a diffuse minimal inflammatory colitis interesting the entire colon, and the pathological examination of multiple biopsies led to the diagnosis of isolated LC. She was treated with 5-amino-salicylate with good evolution. Conclusion: Our observation is, to our knowledge the third reporting the association of LC with SLE; it is characterized in addition by the young age of occurrence. This association once again comforts the hypothesis of a common pathophysiology to these two diseases mainly involving genetic predisposition, HLA susceptibility, immune disorders, and environmental factors.

Keywords:
lymphocytic colitis systemic lupus erythematosus microscopic colitis lupus enteritis

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