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 auto- immune 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.