Manifestations of systemic lupus erythematosus.

Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is a chronic, multifaceted autoimmune inflammatory disease that can affect any part of the body. SLE is a disease of unknown aetiology with a variety of presenting features and manifestations. Interest in the disease has been stimulated in recent years, and improved methods of diagnosis have resulted in a significant increase in the number of cases recognized. It is apparent that it can no longer be regarded as a rare disease. The majority of the pathology in SLE is related to deposits of immune complexes in various organs, which triggers complement and other mediators of inflammation. Symptoms vary from person to person, and may come and go, depend on what part of the body is affected, can be mild, moderate, or severe. Diagnosis can be difficult because lupus mimics many other diseases; it requires clinical and serologic criteria.