Clinical features of SLE

Question 1

What are non-specific features of SLE?

Answer 1

• fatigue
• muscle pains
• fever
• swollen lymph nodes
• loss of appetite
• weight loss

Question 2

What are specific clinical features of SLE?

Answer 2

• Butterfly facial rash
• Arthritis
• Reynaud’s phenomenon
• Aloplecia
• Mouth ulcers
• Serositis
• Affect central and peripheral nervous system
• Renal disease
• Lymphopenia, neutropenia, anaemia
• Antiphospholipid antibody syndrome (APS)

Question 3

ANA in SLE?

Answer 3

autoantibodies, they can be measured by immunofluorescence, 98% of SLE patients have them but also around 30% of general population has low amount of these antibodies

Question 4

How to diagnose lupus?

Answer 4

• Combination of features and antibodies
• No diagnostic test