Acute pancreatitis as the initial presentation in pediatric systemic lupus erythematosus

Abstract

It is exceptionally rare for acute pancreatitis to be the presenting manifestation of childhood systemic lupus erythematosus. We report a 14-year-old girl who presented with a history of fever, generalized rash, arthralgia and abdominal pain. Her serum amylase was 1472U/L and lipase 3316 U/L suggestive of acute pancreatitis. Other investigations revealed pancytopenia, low complement, high 24-hour urinary protein and elevated ANA and dsDNA. She was treated with IV methylprednisone, followed by oral steroids.