Peripheral Vascular Syndromes Associated with Systemic Lupus Erythematosus

Abstract

A review of the literature and reports of 11 cases of SLE between 1956 and 1962, indicate that peripheral vascular manifestations maybe the initial manifestation in systemic lupus erythematosus and that they may precede by many years the onset of other, heretofore, better recognized, signs and symptoms of systemic lupus erythematosus. The various peripheral vascular syndromes tend to occur in the same patient, either at different or at the same time during the long, chronic, remitting course of the illness. In most of the cases, these peripheral vascular syndromes occurred without preceding adrenal steroid treatment, and in only 2 cases was a rheumatoid-like arthritis present. Improvement in the vascular complications followed treatment with adrenal cortical steroids in 4 of 10 patients treated. It is concluded that various peripheral vascular syndromes, which include Raynaud''s phenomenon, peripheral arterial occlusion, chronic leg ulcers, livedo reticularis, and recurrent thrombophlebitis, are part of the natural history of systemic lupus erythematosus.