Lupus
Lupus: Introduction
Lupus is an autoimmune disease affecting mostly women
and causing various effects throughout different parts of the body.
Its severity can range from very mild to extremely serious
depending on which body organs are afflicted.
Lupus is difficult to diagnose and often misdiagnosed
unless there is a characteristic symptom such as
the butterfly-shaped rash over the cheeks.
There is no single definitive blood test for lupus
and doctors have to make the diagnosis based on a
variety of symptoms and diagnostic tests.
Lupus is one of a group of conditions with vague symptoms
such as fatigue or malaise,
and may need to be distinguished from
fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue syndrome,
Type 2 diabetes, depression, Lyme disease, multiple sclerosis,
or various other conditions.
If the main symptoms are joint symptoms,
then various other causes of arthritis need to be considered.
Symptoms of Lupus
See full list of 121
symptoms of Lupus
Home Diagnostic Testing
Home medical testing related to Lupus:
- Menopause: Related Home Testing:
- Vaginal Health: Home Testing:
- Breast Cancer: Related Home Tests:
- more tests...»
Lupus: Complications
Review possible medical complications related to Lupus:
Disease Topics Related To Lupus
Research the causes of these diseases that are similar to, or related to, Lupus:
Medical Textbooks Online about Lupus
Book excerpts: Copyright © 2008 Lippincott Williams & Wilkins. All rights reserved.
Diagnostic Tests for Lupus
See full list of 15
diagnostic tests for Lupus
Wrongly Diagnosed with Lupus?
Lupus: Medical Mistakes
Lupus: Marketplace Products, Discounts & Offers
Products, offers and promotion categories available for Lupus:
Lupus: Undiagnosed Conditions
Commonly undiagnosed diseases in related medical categories:
Misdiagnosis and Lupus
Lupus is often misdiagnosed as other conditions: Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), often simply called "lupus",
is a difficult disease to diagnose and can manifest with numerous symptoms.
Some...read more »
Cluster of diseases with difficult diagnosis issues: There is a well-known list of
medical conditions that are all somewhat difficult to diagnose, and all can present
in a variety of different severities....read more »
Alzheimer's disease over-diagnosed: The well-known disease of Alzheimer's disease
is often over-diagnosed.
Patients tend to assume that any memory loss or forgetulness symptom might be Alzheimer's,...read more »
Dementia may be a drug interaction: A common scenario in aged care is for
a patient to show mental decline to dementia.
Whereas this can, of...read more »
Rare type of breast cancer without a lump: There is a less common form
of breast cancer called inflammatory breast cancer.
Its symptoms can be an inflammation of the breast tissue,...read more »
Tremor need not be Parkinson's disease: There is the tendency to believe that
any tremor symptom, or shakiness, means Parkinson's disease....read more »
Rare diseases misdiagnosed as Parkinson's disease: A rare genetic
disorder is often misdiagnosed as Parkinson's disease for men in their 50's.
The...read more »
Read more about Misdiagnosis and Lupus
Lupus: Research Doctors & Specialists
Research related physicians and medical specialists:
- Pregnancy & Fertility Health Specialists:
- Womens Health Specialists:
- Immune-Related Disease Specialists (Immunology):
- Senior Health Specialists (Geriatrics):
- more specialists...»
Other doctor, physician and specialist research services:
Hospitals & Clinics: Lupus
Research quality ratings and patient safety measures
for medical facilities in specialties related to Lupus:
Hospital & Clinic quality ratings » »
Choosing the Best Hospital:
More general information, not necessarily in relation to Lupus,
on hospital performance and surgical care quality:
Lupus: Rare Types
Rare types of diseases and disorders in related medical categories:
Causes of Lupus
- There are 38 known medications to cause DIL but there are three that report the highest number of cases: hydralazine, procainamide, and isoniazid
- more causes...»
Read more about causes of Lupus
More information about causes of Lupus:
Treatments for Lupus
See full list of 47
treatments for Lupus
Latest Treatments for Lupus
See full list of 16
latest treatments for Lupus
News Archives for Lupus
Medical news articles related to Lupus include:
Source: HealthDay News
Videos for Lupus
For most people, arthritis means simply pain in or around a joint. But there are over 100 different kinds of arthritis, each with its own set of...
Public awareness about Lyme disease has heightened in recent years and people in high-risk areas know to look for the telltale bull's-eye rash....
For most people, arthritis means simply pain in or around a joint. But there are over 100 different kinds of arthritis, each with its own set of...
For most people, arthritis means simply pain in or around a joint. But there are over 100 different kinds of arthritis, each with its own set of...
See full list of 4 related videos
Patient Surveys for Lupus
Prognosis for Lupus
Prognosis for Lupus:
Normal lifespan possible for many patients. Remissions and relapses common. 5-year survival about 97%; 10-year survival about 90%. (NWHIC).
More about prognosis of Lupus
Reseach about Lupus
Visit our research pages for current research about Lupus treatments.
Clinical Trials for Lupus
The US based website ClinicalTrials.gov lists information on both federally
and privately supported clinical trials using human volunteers.
Some of the clinical trials listed on ClinicalTrials.gov for Lupus include:
See full list of 204
Clinical Trials for Lupus
Statistics for Lupus
Lupus: Broader Related Topics
Types of Lupus
Types of Lupus
Read more about Types of Lupus
Curable Types of Lupus
Possibly curable types of Lupus include:
- SLE of the joints
- Retinal vasculitis related to SLE
- Psychosis related to SLE
- Deep vein thrombosis related to SLE
- Acute ischemia related to SLE
- Drug( isoniazid, hydralazine, chlorpromazine) associated SLE
- more types...»
Rare Types of Lupus:
Rare types of Lupus include:
- Retinal vasculitis related to SLE
- Psychosis related to SLE
- Deep vein thrombosis related to SLE
- Acute ischemia related to SLE
- Drug( isoniazid, hydralazine, chlorpromazine) associated SLE
- Discoid lupus
- more types...»
Stories from Users Related to Lupus
Related forums and medical stories:
User Interactive Forums
Read about other experiences, ask a question about Lupus, or answer someone else's question, on our message boards:
Article Excerpts about Lupus
NINDS Neurological Sequelae Of Lupus Information Page: NINDS (Excerpt)
Lupus (also called systemic lupus erythematosus
or SLE) is a disorder of the immune system which normally functions to
protect the body against invading infections and cancers. In lupus, the
immune system is over-active and produces increased amounts of abnormal
antibodies that attack the patient's own tissues. Lupus can affect many
parts of the body, including the joints, skin, kidneys, lungs, heart,
nervous system, and blood vessels. The signs and symptoms of lupus differ
from person to person, and the disease can range from mild to
life-threatening.
(Source: excerpt from NINDS Neurological Sequelae Of Lupus Information Page: NINDS)
Handout on Health Systemic Lupus Erythematosus: NIAMS (Excerpt)
Lupus is a disorder of the immune system known as an
autoimmune disease. In autoimmune diseases, the body harms its own
healthy cells and tissues. This leads to inflammation and damage to
various body tissues. Lupus can affect many parts of the body, including
the joints, skin, kidneys, heart, lungs, blood vessels, and brain.
(Source: excerpt from Handout on Health Systemic Lupus Erythematosus: NIAMS)
Connective Tissue Diseases: NWHIC (Excerpt)
An inflammation of the connective tissues,
SLE can afflict every organ system. It is up to nine times more
common in women than men and strikes black women three times as
often as white women. The condition is aggravated by sunlight.
(Source: excerpt from Connective Tissue Diseases: NWHIC)
Lupus Fact Sheet: NWHIC (Excerpt)
Lupus is an autoimmune disease in which the body literally attacks itself,
harming its own healthy cells and tissues. It can affect the joints, skin,
kidneys, heart, lungs, blood vessels, and brain, causing inflammation and damage
to tissues. (Source: excerpt from Lupus Fact Sheet: NWHIC)
Definitions of Lupus:
RAEB: Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). an autoimmune connective tissue disease with variable features.
- (Source - Diseases Database)
Any of several forms of ulcerative skin disease
- (Source - WordNet 2.1)
Ophanet, a consortium of European partners,
currently defines a condition rare when it affects 1 person per 2,000.
They list Lupus as a "rare disease".
Source - Orphanet
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