Lupus: Criteria for Diagnosis

Topic Overview

The following criteria are used to distinguish lupus (systemic lupus erythematosus, or SLE) from other autoimmune and rheumatic diseases.

A person with 4 of these 11 conditions can be classified as having lupus. These conditions may be present all at once, or they may appear in succession over a period of time.^{footnote 1}

• Butterfly (malar) rash on cheeks
• Rash on face, arms, neck, torso (discoid rash)
• Skin rashes that result from exposure to sunlight or ultraviolet light (photosensitivity)
• Mouth or nasal sores (ulcers), usually painless
• Joint swelling, stiffness, pain involving two or more joints (arthritis)
• Inflammation of the membranes surrounding the lungs (pleuritis) or heart (pericarditis)
• Abnormalities in urine, such as increased protein or clumps of red blood cells or kidney cells, called cell casts
• Nervous system problems, such as seizures or psychosis, without known cause
• Problems with the blood, such as reduced numbers of red blood cells (anemia), platelets, or white blood cells
• Laboratory tests showing increased autoimmune activity (antibodies against normal tissue)
• Positive antinuclear antibody (ANA) test