Lupus - the cold, hard facts.

Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is a multisystem chronic disease with a multitude of clinical presentations. We review and synthesize how an environmental insult (exposure to extreme cold for a short duration) and endogenous (antiphospholipid antibody syndrome, SLE vasculitis) insults in a susceptible young female with lupus (peripheral arterial disease, smoking, SLE) led to a perfect storm resulting in catastrophic injuries (frostbite).