Phlegmasia cerulea dolens in patient with systemic lupus erythematosus in the remote postpartum period.

Vascular manifestations are not rare in systemic lupus erythematosus and, in most cases, are associated with antiphospholipid antibodies. Phlegmasia cerulea dolens is an unusual and severe complication of deep venous thrombosis of the lower limbs, which has a high mortality rate. In the literature, only two cases of phlegmasia cerulea dolens associated with primary antiphospholipid syndrome have been reported, but none associated with systemic lupus erythematosus. We report one case of phlegmasia cerulea dolens with rapid evolution to death in a patient with systemic lupus erythematosus in the remote postpartum period.