Excellent Effect of Steroid plus Azathioprine in a Young Woman with Pernicious Anaemia and Systemic Lupus Erythematosus

Abstract

We describe a 29-year-old woman who developed pernicious anaemia 2 years after the diagnosis of systemic lupus erythematosus. This is a rare association despite the relationship between the autoimmune aetiologies of these two conditions. Seven other cases have been described, but our report demonstrates a case with an excellent response to steroid and azathioprine.

Pernicious anemia in a young man with systemic lupus erythematosus

“…The presence of AIF-Ab was associated with a low cobalamin concentration, anemia and macrocytosis in only one case, which may be another case of association of SLE and PA. Most of the previously reported cases did not require treatment with vitamin B12 as their hemoglobin levels increased while treating SLE (corticosteroids and azathioprine in one case 13 ). In another case, 11 PA appeared only after cessation of steroids.…”

“…The association of two or more autoimmune disease is classical. Many autoimmune manifestations are seen in SLE, but PA has only been described in nine other cases [5][6][7][8][9][10][11][12][13] (Table 1). In those cases, PA was diagnosed before or after SLE by variable period of time.…”