A review of 42 cases of intestinal pseudo-obstruction in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus based on case reports

Intestinal pseudo-obstruction (IpsO) is considered a severe manifestation of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) characterized by clinical and radiological evidence of intestinal obstruction with no identifiable mechanical lesion. We performed a systematic review to document IpsO in SLE. Twenty-eight articles with 42 patients were included. The median age of onset of IpsO was 27.5 (10–57) years. The female to male ratio was 38:4. Twenty-two (52.4%) patients had IpsO as the initial presentation of their underlying lupus. Three (7.1%) patients manifested in inactive lupus. The duration of abdominal symptoms before admitted ranged from 3 days to 3 years, however most of the patients responded well to systemic corticosteroid or immunosuppressive treatment within 2 days to about 3 months. Concomitant ureterohydronephrosis was present in approximately three-fourths of the cases. More interestingly, 4 patients presented hepatobiliary dilatation without mechanical obstruction together with IPO and ureterohydronephrosis. In conclusion, IpsO is an uncommon but important manifestation of SLE. The finding of coexisting ureterohydronephrosis and hepatobiliary dilatation suggests that there may be generalized visceral muscle dysmotility. Early recognition of IpsO is necessary to institute appropriate medical treatment and to avoid inappropriate surgical intervention.