UnMASking the diagnosis: Acute severe necrotizing pancreatitis in the setting of systemic lupus erythematosus complicated by macrophage activation syndrome

Abstract

Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is a common rheumatologic condition with known GI involvement. Acute pancreatitis (AP) is a rare GI complication of SLE and is typically associated with increased disease activity. Macrophage activation syndrome (MAS) is an unusual, hyper-inflammatory response to a rheumatologic stimulus characterized by hyperferritinemia, pancytopenia, thermal dysregulation and multi-organ dysfunction. MAS, more commonly seen in children, has been reported to complicate both adult onset SLE and AP. We present a case of necrotizing AP secondary to an SLE flare complicated by MAS in an adult patient successfully treated with anakinra.