Lupus is clinically referred to as systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE).

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Lupus
Lupus is clinically referred to as systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). Lupus is an autoimmune disease which means that the body mistakenly attacks its organs which are healthy perceiving them as threats. When the antibodies attack the organs and tissues, they become inflamed and affects their optimal performance and functioning. Some of the commonly attacked organs are the skin, the kidney, the liver, the lungs and the heart. In each of these organs, the symptoms are varied and therefore proper diagnosis must be carried out to determine if it is lupus. Lupus symptoms are mostly confused with other symptoms of other diseases and therefore in many cases it is considered the ‘great imitator.’
Signs and symptoms
Lupus can affect so many organs in the body and therefore there are a wide range of symptoms depending on the organ affected. It can often be misdiagnosed because the symptoms also mimic many other diseases and conditions such as diabetes, rheumatoid arthritis, bone diseases etc. According to CITATION Lup17 \l 1033 (Lupus Foundation of America), the signs and symptoms may be different over time but these are the most common symptoms for both men and women;
* Tiredness/fatigue
* Headaches
* Painful or swollen joints
* Fever
* Anemia
* Edema especially around hands, legs, eyes
* Pleurisy
* Butterfly-shaped rash across cheeks and nose
* Sun- or light-sensitivity
* Hair loss
* Abnormal blood clotting
* Raynaud’s syndrome
* Mouth or nose ulcers
Diagnostic Tests
The process of diagnosing lupus is long and complicated because the disease has similar symptoms like other conditions and diseases. Therefore, a patient must undergo many different tests to rule out the possibility of having any other disease and avoid a misdiagnosis. The doctor may start asking the patient many questions on the kind of symptoms they are experiencing? When they started? The nature of the symptoms i.e. If they come and go, how severe they get, any relationship between the symptoms and daily activities such as commuting or working in the sun etc. These questions guide the doctor in eliminating any other diseases that have similar symptoms to lupus.
The doctor may order blood tests to find out CBC (complete blood count). The number of red blood cells vis-à-vis white blood cells and platelets in the blood can help diagnose lupus. Secondly, blood tests can help find out is antibodies in the immune system are attacking the body. Blood clotting tests ca help establish if the patient has clotting problems emanating from lupus. Other complimentary tests could be carries out to check for signs of inflammation. Doctors may also order biopsies of different organs from different parts of the body to see whether the tissue/organ has any signs of inflammation and or damage. This is important in establishing whether lupus is affecting internal organs in the body.
Anatomy and physiology of the disease
Lupus causes inflammation of the blood vessels and tissues. It can occur anywhere on the body and can affect many different organs. The commonly affected organs are the skin, liver, kidneys and the lungs. For the skin, it is characte...