musculoskeletal and connective tissue disorders
Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE)
Introduction
Systemic lupus erythematosus is a chronic, multisystem, inflammatory disorder of autoimmune etiology, occurring predominantly in young women. Common manifestations may include arthralgias and arthritis, Raynaud syndrome, malar and other rashes, pleuritis or pericarditis, renal or central nervous system involvement, and autoimmune cytopenias. Diagnosis requires clinical and serologic criteria. Treatment of severe, ongoing, active disease requires corticosteroids and immunosuppressants. Of all cases, 70 to 90% occur in women (usually of child-bearing age). Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is more common and severe among Black and Asian patients than among White patients. It can affect patients of any age, including neonates. In some countries, the prevalence of SLE rivals that of Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA) . SLE may be precipitated by currently unknown environmental triggers that cause autoimmune reactions in genetically predisposed people. Some drugs (eg, 