Diffuse Coronary Artery Disease in a Young Systemic Lupus Erythematosus Patient: A Case Report

Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE) is a chronic autoimmune disease associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular disease, including coronary artery disease (CAD). Traditional risk factors for CVD can only partially account for the 50-fold rise in the incidence of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (CVD) in SLE patients when compared to age- and gender-matched control participants. As of right now, there is no proven way to stop CVD problems in SLE patients. There is a need for new therapeutic approaches and a better understanding of the processes behind the pathophysiology of CVD complications in SLE because traditional preventive CVD medications have not been shown to appreciably reduce the incidence of CVD in SLE. We report a case of diffuse CAD in a 36-year-old female SLE patient and review the literature on this rare but potentially life-threatening complication.