Pituitary carcinoid coexisting with systemic lupus erythematosus: A rare combination.

ABSTRACT

Gastrointestinal carcinoids have occasionally been reported in patients with autoimmune diseases. We report a middle-aged woman who presented with episodic hypertension and a skin rash. Initial evaluation led to the diagnosis of systemic lupus erythematosus for which the patient was treated. Further investigations revealed the presence of a carcinoid tumour in the pituitary. Although gastrointestinal carcinoids associated with autoimmune diseases have been seen occasionally, to our knowledge, extragastric carcinoid coexisting with an autoimmune disorder has never been reported before. A better understanding of how inflammation induces cytological changes leading to development of a carcinoid from a cellular and molecular perspective could provide potential therapeutic strategies for preventing these lesions. Natl Med J India 2016;29209–11