Key Features of SLE

 

System	Features
General	Fatigue, fever, lymphadenopathy, remitting and relapsing illness
Skin	Malar (butterfly) rash sparing the nasolabial folds, discoid rash (scaly, erythematous, well-demarcated), photosensitivity, Raynaud’s phenomenon
Musculoskeletal	Arthralgia, non-erosive arthritis
Cardiovascular	Pericarditis (most common cardiac manifestation), myocarditis
Respiratory	Pleurisy, fibrosing alveolitis
Renal	Proteinuria, glomerulonephritis (diffuse proliferative glomerulonephritis is the most common type)
Neuropsychiatric	Anxiety, depression, psychosis, seizures
Mouth	Large, multiple, painful mouth ulcers

 

Diagnostic Tests:

 

Test	Purpose
Anti-nuclear antibody (ANA)	Most sensitive test for SLE
Anti-dsDNA	Most specific test for SLE
Anti-histone antibodies	Indicates drug-induced lupus