Acute pancreatitis in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). Successful treatment with plasmapheresis after failure of prednisone.

A 33-year old Caucasian woman with SLE, who had been treated with chloroquine and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs for one year, suddenly presented with a rapidly progressive exacerbation of SLE featuring fever, arthritis, cutaneous manifestations, cerebral dysfunction, pleuritis, pericarditis and pancreatitis. Clinical deterioration and a rise in the serum amylase occurred during a month of high dose prednisone treatment. Plasmapheresis, while maintaining prednisone at a constant dosage, resulted in a complete remission of all symptoms within four weeks. Plasmapheresis was discontinued and improvement was maintained whilst tapering off prednisone and adding azathioprine.