Classification criteria for lupus


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Classification criteria for lupus


The following criteria are used to distinguish lupus (systemic lupus erythematosus, or SLE) from other autoimmune and rheumatic diseases.

A person with 4 of these 11 conditions can be classified as having lupus. These conditions may be present all at once or they may appear in succession over a period of time.1

  • Butterfly (malar Click here to see an illustration.) rash on cheeks
  • Rash on face, arms, neck, torso (discoid rash)
  • Skin rashes that result from exposure to sunlight or ultraviolet light (photosensitivity)
  • Mouth or nasal sores (ulcers), usually painless
  • Joint swelling, stiffness, pain involving two or more joints (arthritis)
  • Inflammation of the membranes surrounding the lungs (pleuritis) or heart (pericarditis).
  • Abnormalities in urine, such as increased protein or clumps of red blood cells or kidney cells, called cell casts, in the urine
  • Nervous system problems, such as seizures or psychosis, without known cause
  • Problems with the blood, such as reduced numbers of red blood cells (anemia), platelets, or white blood cells
  • Laboratory tests indicating increased autoimmune activity (antibodies against normal tissue)
  • Positive antinuclear antibody (ANA) test

References


Citations

  1. Petri MA (2005). Systemic lupus erythematosus: Clinical aspects. In WJ Koopman, LW Moreland, eds., Arthritis and Allied Conditions: A Textbook of Rheumatology, 15th ed., vol. 2, pp.1473–1496. Philadelphia: Lippincott Williams and Wilkins.

Credits


Author Shannon Erstad, MBA/MPH
Editor Kathleen M. Ariss, MS
Associate Editor Michele Cronen
Associate Editor Denele Ivins
Associate Editor Pat Truman, MATC
Primary Medical Reviewer Adam Husney, MD - Family Medicine
Primary Medical Reviewer Anne C. Poinier, MD - Internal Medicine
Specialist Medical Reviewer Stanford M. Shoor, MD - Rheumatology
Last Updated May 13, 2008

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Last updated: May 13, 2008
Author: Shannon Erstad, MBA/MPH
Reviewed By: Anne C. Poinier, MD - Internal Medicine, Stanford M. Shoor, MD - Rheumatology
Editors: Kathleen M. Ariss, MS, Pat Truman, MATC

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