A Case of Intestinal Pseudoobstruction Associated with Systemic Sclerosis Successfully Treated with Erythromycin and Octreotide / 대한류마티스학회지

ABSTRACT

Systemic sclerosis is an autoimmune disease, characterized by inflammation, microangiopathy and fibrosis in the skin and various intestinal organs. Gastrointestinal involvement is one of the major causes of serious morbidity, and next to the skin, the gastrointestinal tract is the most commonly involved organ. While esophageal involvement is most common gastrointestinal manifestation, the involvement of the small intestine and colon is less common but may lead to life-threatening complications like chronic pesudoobstruction or pneumatosis cystoids intestinalis. Here, we describe a case of progressive systemic sclerosis associated with intestinal pseudoobstruction. 28 year-old male presented abdominal pain and vomiting and he was diagnosed as having intestinal pseudoobstruction. His symptoms were well managed using the combination of octreotide, a long-acting somatostatin analogue, and erythromycin.