Acute pancreatitis in a patient with systemic lupus erythematosus

Acute pancreatitis is a rare entity when presenting in a patient with Systemic Lupus Erythematosus. Since it was first described in 1939 less than 200 cases have been reported in literature. We are reporting a case of a 17 year old girl, a diagnosed case of SLE, who had developed sudden onset abdominal pain, and subsequently diagnosed with Lupus induced Acute Pancreatitis. She was started on steroid therapy after the diagnosis but consequently succumbed to the illness, after developing lupus pancreatitis related ARDS. This case report thus intends to highlight the need for early diagnosis with a raised index of suspicion with pancreatitis being the possible diagnosis in SLE patients presenting with pain abdomen and the need for early intervention in such patients.