Coexistence of Crohn’s Disease and Systemic Lupus Erythematosus with Lupus Nephritis : About Two Cases

Introduction : The systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is usually associated with other autoimmune and dysimmune diseases. The coexistence of SLE and Crohn’s disease (CD), as an Inflammatory bowel disease, in the same patient is extremely rare. The presence of lupus nephritis during this association is even rarer.

Case Report : We report two observations, a 56-year-old woman and a 37-year-old man. The first was followed for a SLE and after 3 years she developed a CD. The second was followed for a CD and after 4 years he developed a SLE. Both patients presented the second disease at the time that the first was in remission. For both patients, the clinical manifestation of the CD was diarrhoea with ileocecal stenosis. Both patients presented with proliferative lupus nephritis. They had positive anti-DNA antibodies.

Conclusion : Admittedly, the association between the SLE and the CD is extremely rare, especially the presence of lupus nephritis, a screening of one of these diseases in presence of the other is thus justified in front of any several extraintestinal manifestation in CD and any gastrointestinal manifestation in a well-controlled SLE.

Keywords: Systemic lupus erythematosus; Crohn’s disease; Lupus nephritis

Abbreviations: CD: Crohn’s disease; IBD: Inflammatory bowel disease; LN: Lupus nephritis; SLE: Systemic lupus erythematosus