SUMMARYWe report a case of Yersinia enterocolitica 0:9 septicaemia complicating systemic lupus erythematosus in an elderly male patient. The infection gave rise to digital vasculitis, fevers and general malaise on top of pre-existing articular symptoms. Features of Yersinia septicaemia may mimic some of the signs of lupus.KEY WORDS: Systemic lupus erythematosus, Male, Yersinia infection, Late onset.SYSTEMIC lupus erythematosus (SLE) commonly a ects young women between 20 and 40 yr of age. Nevertheless, many investigators have shown that in 10±20% of cases, onset occurs after the age of 50. In the elderly, the presenting symptoms of lupus are often insidious and diagnosis may be delayed. In this paper, we describe a 75-yr-old patient who presented with lupus whose clinical course was complicated by Yersinia septicaemia which gave rise to digital vasculitis. Systemic Yersinia infections infrequently give rise to multisystemic chronic in¯ammatory disorders, some of the clinical features of which may mimic those seen in connective tissue diseases. Awareness of this condition should help to establish a correct diagnosis earlier, especially in the elderly patient who presents with an unexpected vasculitis in the context of an established rheumatological disease.
CASE REPORTA 75-yr-old Caucasian male presented initially with symmetrical polyarthritis of the wrists and hands, elevated erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) and negative rheumatoid factor. An initial diagnosis of seronegative rheumatoid arthritis was made by a rheumatologist and treatment with i.m. gold salts was begun. This was stopped after a few months because of leucopenia, and he was then managed for the next 2 yr with low-dose corticosteroids (prednisone 5 mg/day) and non-steroidal anti-in¯ammatory drugs (NSAIDs) with disappointing results.Two years later, the patient complained of painful palmar erythema accompanied by chills, extreme fatigue and weight loss. A few weeks later, small necrotic ulcerations developed on his ®ngertips. Other complaints included dry mouth and eyes, reduced strength in the hands, nocturnal pain in the knees, cervical spine and wrists. There was no history of Raynaud's phenomenon, temporal headache, visual disturbances, abdominal pains or bowel disturbances.On admission, the patient had a low-grade pyrexia at 37.88C. There was no palpable lymphadenopathy. Palmar erythema and small necrotic lesions were noted on the ®rst to third ®ngertips of the right hand, and on the ®rst and second ®nger of the left hand (Fig. 1). Cardiovascular, respiratory and abdominal examinations were normal. Neurological examination revealed generalized weakness of proximal and distal muscle groups due to amyotrophy and peripheral arthritis. Joint examination showed symmetrical synovitis of the PIP and the MCP joints of the second to ®fth ®ngers of both hands. Urine examination was normal.Laboratory investigations showed a normochromic, normocytic anaemia (Hb was 98 g/l). The white cell count was normal (8.1 g/l) with a relative lymphopenia (lymphoc...