Systemic lupus erythematosus in Portugal: diagnosis and disease awareness from 1970 to 2001.

A survey of systemic lupus erythematosus patients was carried out in Portugal. The length of time from disease appearance to diagnosis remained unchanged over the 1970-2001 study period, while awareness of the disease increased considerably in the population in the mid-1990s, apparently as a result of an awareness campaign conducted by the national lupus support group. The data are compared to results from similar studies worldwide.