An autoimmune condition that can affect many parts of the body, where specialist assessment helps reach a clear diagnosis and a tailored plan
Lupus, or systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), is an autoimmune condition in which the immune system attacks the body's own tissues. It can affect many different parts of the body, including the joints, skin, blood and internal organs. Because it presents in so many ways and varies greatly between people, reaching the diagnosis often takes careful specialist assessment.
Written for patients and reviewed by Dr Liubov Borukhson, Consultant Rheumatologist (GMC 7021928).
Lupus can be very variable, and not everyone has the same features. Common ones include:
Symptoms can come and go, with flares and quieter periods, which is part of what makes lupus challenging to recognise.
There is no single test for lupus. The diagnosis is built up from the pattern of symptoms, an examination and a range of blood and urine tests, including tests for particular antibodies. Because the picture can develop over time and overlaps with other conditions, specialist assessment is important to draw the threads together.
Where joints are involved, ultrasound can help assess inflammation accurately. Dr Borukhson uses point-of-care ultrasound during the consultation. You can read more on the ultrasound clinic page.
The aim of treatment is to control the overactive immune response, manage symptoms, protect the organs that can be affected, and reduce flares. Treatment is highly individual, depending on which parts of the body are involved, and is reviewed regularly over time.
A range of medications is available, and because lupus is a long-term condition that can change, ongoing specialist input is valuable. The plan is always agreed with you.
Lupus can affect many different parts of the body, so care sometimes needs input from more than one specialty. Dr Borukhson practises within a world-renowned tertiary centre, with ready access to consultant colleagues across the other specialties that may be involved in caring for this condition. Where appropriate, she can involve those specialists directly, and bring particularly complex cases to a multidisciplinary team meeting (MDT) with minimal delay. This means that, when more than one area of expertise is needed, your care can be joined up and decisions reached promptly.
Lupus is complex and varies widely, so an accurate diagnosis and a carefully tailored, regularly reviewed plan make a real difference. If you have a combination of joint pain, fatigue, rashes and other unexplained symptoms, a specialist review can help bring clarity.
Lupus can be hard to pin down. A specialist assessment can piece the picture together and agree a tailored plan
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