Common Causes of Emergency Visits in Patients with Systemic Lupus Erythematosus: A Study Focusing on the Role of SLE-Induced Vasculitis

Systematic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is a chronic and autoimmune disease that involvement of several target organs, at emergency department (ER) it is important to consider SLE as a cause for acute organ involvement. The aims of this study were to determine the cause for emergency visits in SLE Patients, focuses of Vasculitis.

Eighty one known SLE patients based on “1982 Revised American College Of Rheumatology SLE Criteria “who had visited the emergency department of Imam Reza hospital from June 2012-December 2014 having undergone a thorough physical examination by the emergency service and classified based on demographic and SLE related sign and symptom. We focused on vasculitis and non-vacuities groups.

In total 17.3% were diagnosed as vasculitis. In the vasculitis group cutaneous vasculitis (50%), thromoembolic events (7.1%) and cerebral vasculitis (7.1%) retinal vasculitis (7.1%) and aortic involvement was seen. the first three most common causes for ER visit in SLE patients were 1) SLE flare episode along with polyarthritis, mucosal ulcer and photosensivity. 2) Vasculitis 3) Renal involvement. Mean SLEDAI and SLICC scores were 22.79 (±13.29) and 1.95 (±1.46), respectively. Regarding SLICC parameters and their relevance to vasculitis ocular, renal, gastrointestinal and neuropsychiatric damage and diabetes mellitus were the most prevalent complications among the vasculitis group (p-value = 0.03, 0.01,