Lupus is a very complex disease that even the experts do not understand completely. Lupus is a autoimmune disease. The immune system which normally protects the body, turns against itself (auto) and attacks it. Lupus has no known cure. The disease can affect many different systems of the body, and there are many differnt ways that it can affect people.

In the early twentieth century, most physicians thought lupus was a skin disease. The disease got its name because many patients looked as though they had been bitten or scratched by wolves. Lupus, in Latin, means "wolf".

Lupus is considered a chronic disease because it is currently incurable. A patient can experience acute episodes., times when symptoms can worsen in immediate, abrupt, and occasionally severe ways. This is known as "flare".

There are three forms of lupus--systemic lupus (SLE); discoid lupus; abd drug induced lupus.

1. SYSTEMIC LUPUS

is a more generalized disease, affecting virtually any body system, and is of unknown cause. It is a multi-organ disease of unknown cause that results in inflammation and disfunction of one or many organs of the body.

The most common ages for the onset of lupus are between the ages of 18 and 55. Some can be diagnsosed in childhood and and later in life also. Roughly 16,000 new cases are diagnosed each year. It is currently estimated that for every one man with lupus there are ten to fifteen women with it.

2. DISCOID LUPUS

Discoid is a lupus of the skin only. It can be a manifestation of SLE, although it more often occurs by itself. It usually begins in a patch of skin that may change color or become red and scaley. Scarring can occur in some cases.

3. DRUG-INDUCED LUPUS

This form of lupus is caused by medication. It causes some symptoms similar to SLE (arthritis,rash,fever, and chest pain, but not kidney disease) that go away when the drug is stopped. Common medications that may cause drug-induced lupus include hydrlazine (Apresoline), procainamide (Procan,Pronestyl), methyldopa (Aldomet), quinidine (Quinaglute), isoniazid (INH), and some antiseizure medications such as phenytoin (Dilantin) or carbamazepine (Tegretol).



COMMON SYMPTOMS OF LUPUS

1. Painful or swollen joints and muscle pain. 2. Unexplained fever. 3. Extreme fatigue. 4. Red rash or color change on the face. 5. Chest pain upon deep breathing. 6. Pale or purple fingers or toes from cold or stress (Raynaud's phenomenon). 7. Sensitivity to the sun. 8. Swelling (edema) in legs or around the eyes. 9. Swollen glands.

Other rashes occur elsewhere on the face and ears, upper arms, shoulders, chest, and hands. Also can have hair loss, anemis, headaches, depression, or seizures. New symptoms may continue to appear years after the initial diagnosis, and different symptoms can occur at different times. Each person with lupus has different symptoms.

In some people with luupus only one system of the body such as the skin or joits is affected. Others may experience symptoms in many parts of their body.

Lupus can also affect the kidneys, central nervous system, blood vessels (vasculitis), and also the heart.



DIAGNOSIS

Beacause lupus symptoms mimic other illnesss, are sometimes vague and may come and go, lupus can be difficult to diagnose. Diagnosis is usually made by a careful review of a person's entire medical history coupled with a analysis of the results obtained to routine laboratory tests and some specialized tests related to immune status. Currently, there is no single laboratory test that can determine whether a person has lupus or not. To assist the physician in the diagnosis of lupus there is a list of 11 symptoms or signs that help distinguish lupus from other diseases. A person should have 4 or more of these to suspect lupus. The symptoms do not all have to occur at the same time.
1. malar rash-Rash over the cheeks.

2. Discoid rash-This rash can involve blotches or raised scaly leisons. Scarring may result. These thick rased patches can occur on any part of the body.

3. Photosensitivity-Reaction to sunlight, resulting in the development of or increase in skin rash. The disease usually worsens with increased sun exposure in those who are sensitive.

4. Oral ulcers-Ulcers in the mouth, nose or throat.

5.Arthritis-Nonerosive arthritis involving two or more peripheral joints (arthritis in which the bones around the joints do not become destroyed). The joints that may become affected by this include those in the feet, ankles, fingers, knees, hips, elbows, shoulders, wrists, and jaw.

6. Inflamation of the lining of the lungs or heart-This is called pleurisy in the lungs and pericarditis in the heart.

7. Kidney disorder-There are two kidney problems that meet this criterion. The first is existence of excessive protein in the urine 9proteinuria). The other is the the existence of cell casts. Casts are fragments of cells normally found in the blood.

8. Nervous system disorder-Convulsions, seizures, or psychosis in the abscence of drugs or metabolic disturbances which are known to cause such affects.

9. Blood disorder-This involves particular changes in the blood. These changes can include hemolytic anemia, wherein the red cells are coated with antibodies that cause them to beak down and break apart. Leukopenia, a low white blood count; lymphopenia, a decrease in the number of lympocytes in the blood, or thrombocytopenia, low numbers of platelets in the blood.

10. Immune disorder-A positive LE prep test, positive anti DNA test, positive anti SM test or false positive syphilis test.

11. A positive ANA-The bodys production of antinuclear antibodies (antibodies that work against the cell nuclei) is the final criterion for diagnosis.

HOME