Michael D. Lockshin, MD

A Patient's Reference Michael D. Lockshin, MD 1. Definition 2. Pathogenesis 3. Clinical Presentation 4. Laboratory Findings 5. Differential Diagnosis 6. Initial Treatment 7. Long-term Management Issues 8. Prognosis 9. When to Seek Referral to a Specialist 10. Annotated Bibliography 1.  Definition Lupus is an autoimmune illness in which parts of the immune system, which normally protect you from outside invaders, run amok and attack parts of your body. Lupus has several forms: * systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), which can affect the skin and other organs throughout the body, including abnormalities in the blood; * discoid lupus, which only affects the skin, causing a scarring rash (although subacute cutaneous lupus also primarily affects the skin); * subacute cutaneous lupus is a form of systemic lupus in which a characteristic rash predominates, indicators in the blood are strongly positive, but involvement of other organs is usually mild; * drug-induced lupus, which is relatively rare and disappears when the offending drug (such as hydralazine and procaine amide) is discontinued; * neonatal lupus, which occurs in infants of women with specific blood test abnormalities. (This article will focus primarily on SLE, with brief discussion of neonatal lupus in the section below on pregnancy.) Although SLE is a chronic disease that usually lasts a lifetime, many patients have periods of flare (when symptoms worsen) and remission (when symptoms lessen or disappear). SLE affects women nine times as often as men, blacks four times as often as whites, and is most likely to arise between the ages of 15 and 45. The reasons for this distribution are unknown. SLE affects women nine times as often as men, blacks four times as often as whites, and is most likely to arise between the ages of 15 and 45. The reasons for this distribution are unknown. Differential diagnosis and management of the various signs and symptoms differ depending on whether the patient is newly diagnosed and untreated or the patient has been treated for many years. (See Boumpas in bibliography below.) Two recent American textbooks for physicians present extensively referenced and detailed discussion of all aspects of these illnesses. (See Wallace and Lahita.) … See the complete article on the Hospital for Special Surgery's web site

This entry was posted on Sunday, March 2nd, 2003 at 3:57 pm and is filed under FOR PATIENTS, Lupus - SLE.