This Article Full Text (PDF) References Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Citation Map Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Add to Saved Citations Download to citation manager Request Permissions Request Reprints Add to My Marked Citations Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via Google Scholar Citing Articles via Scopus Google Scholar Articles by Tai, E. Articles by Fong, K. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Tai, E. Articles by Fong, K. Pubmed/NCBI databases Medline Plus Health Information Lupus Social Bookmarking                   What's this?

Fatal amoebic colitis in a patient with SLE: a case report and review of the literature

Department of Rheumatology and Immunology, Tan Tock Seng Hospital, Singapore

KY Fong

Department of Rheumatology and Immunology, Tan Tock Seng Hospital, Singapore

Colitis in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) poses a diagnostic challenge as clinical, radiological and laboratory findings are often non-specific. Fulminant amoebic colitis is a rare cause of death in SLE. Early diagnosis coupled with timely surgery can reduce the mortality. The demonstration of haematophagous trophozoites in the stool is diagnostic but insensitive. Early endoscopy with adequate specimen collection is an important part of the diagnosis. Serology is both sensitive and specific but can take up to 2-4 weeks for seroconversion making it less useful in a disease that takes a rapid downhill course if treated inappropriately. We report a fatal case of colitis in a patient with SLE due to invasive amoebiasis which was complicated by Salmonella bacteraemia, disseminated intravascular coagulation, acute oliguric renal failure and adult respiratory syndrome. We also reviewed the literature on the clinical features and diagnosis of fulminant amoebic colitis. Amoebic colitis, although rare, should be considered in the differential diagnosis of lupus patients with colitis.

Key Words: SLE • colitis • amoebic

Lupus, Vol. 6, No. 7, 610-612 (1997)
DOI: 10.1177/096120339700600709


CiteULike    Connotea    Del.icio.us    Digg    Reddit    Technorati    What's this?

This article has been cited by other articles:

				E Lim, W-H Koh, S-F Loh, M-S Lam, and H-S Howe Non-thyphoidal salmonellosis in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus. A study of fifty patients and a review of the literature Lupus, February 1, 2001; 10(2): 87 - 92. [Abstract] [PDF]

				S. M. Sultan, Y. Ioannou, and D. A. Isenberg A review of gastrointestinal manifestations of systemic lupus erythematosus Rheumatology, October 1, 1999; 38(10): 917 - 932. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]