Acalculous cholecystitis: A rare manifestation of acute abdomen in lupus

Abstract

Lupus is an autoimmune disease of unknown aetiology with varied manifestations. There is a significant variation in the clinical presentation and severity of Gastro-intestinal (GI) disorders. The low index of suspicion often leads to delays in diagnosis and the wrong choice of management. Acute Acalculous Cholecystitis (AAC) is just one of the GI manifestations of lupus and is associated with high morbidity and mortality. There are few case reports of AAC in written literature. We introduce a 31-year-old black female who presented with abdominal pain that turned out to be ACC in a patient known to have lupus. She was successfully managed conservatively with steroids and antibiotics and did not require surgical intervention.