Open AccessAnalgesics are not always the culprits: isolated gastric fundal varices as the cause of recurrent upper GI bleed in a patient with SLE, rheumatoid arthritis and polymyositis overlap syndrome
Author(s) -
Abdul Majid Wani,
Waleed Mohd Hussain,
Mohamad Ibrahim Fatani,
Mazen G Bafaraj,
Khalid Showkat,
Sadia Hanif,
Ahmad Qadmani,
Mubeena Akhtar,
Ghassan Al Maimani
Publication year - 2009
Publication title -
bmj case reports
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.231
H-Index - 26
ISSN - 1757-790X
DOI - 10.1136/bcr.06.2009.1967
Subject(s) - medicine , polymyositis , rheumatoid arthritis , bleed , varices , upper gastrointestinal bleeding , gastroenterology , synovitis , arthritis , surgery , endoscopy , cirrhosis
The most common cause of upper gastrointestinal bleeding in patients with systemic rheumatic diseases is non-steroidal drug use; this is the case with COX-2 inhibitors, especially when used concomitantly with corticosteroids. Bleeding from varices is unusual in the absence of liver disease. We present an interesting case of a patient with systemic lupus erythematosus, rheumatoid arthritis and polymyositis overlap syndrome with recurrent upper gastrointestinal bleeds from isolated fundal gastric varices and a normal liver.