Lupus is a chronic incurable disease of the immune system and may cause joint & muscle pain, skin rash, photosensitivity, inflammation of membranes around the heart or lungs, anemia, other blood abnormalities, kidney involvement & other symptoms.
The American Rheumatology Association has established the following criteria for the diagnosis of Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE of Lupus):
| 1. | Malar rash (rash on cheeks) |
| 2. | Discoid lupus (red, scaly patches on skin which cause scarring) |
| 3. | Photosensitivity (reaction to sunlight) |
| 4. | Oral ulcers (mouth ulcers) |
| 5. | Arthritis (pain, inflammation, or swelling of the joints) |
| 6. | Proteinuria greater than 0.5g/day (protein in urine), or cellular casts (casts in urine seen under microscope). |
| 7. | Seizures (convulsions), or psychosis (mental disorder) |
| 8. | Pleuritis (inflammation of the membrane around the lungs), or pericarditis (inflammation of the membrane around the heart). |
| 9. | Hemolytic anemia (low red blood count), or leukopenia (low white blood count), or lymphopenia (decrease in lymphocytes in blood), or thrombocytopenia (decrease in blood platelets). |
| 10. | Antibody to DNA, or Antibody to Sm, or presence of LE cells, or biologically false-positive serologic test result of syphilis(false-positive syphilis test). |
| 11. | Positive fluorescence antinuclear antibody test result (positive ANA). |
A patient is required to have at least four of the eleven conditions, serially or simultaneously, during any interval of observation, to be classified as having Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE or Lupus).
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