Musculoskeletal manifestations of systemic lupus erythematosus.

The musculoskeletal system is involved in nearly all patients with SLE. Transient arthralgias or arthritis are common and, in some patients, there is a progression to rheumatoid-like nonerosive hand deformities (Jaccoud's syndrome). The major disabling type of joint disease in lupus is articular osteonecrosis, often induced by high-dose corticosteroids. Rare forms of musculoskeletal manifestations of lupus include spontaneous tendon rupture, crystalline arthropathies, subcutaneous calcifications, and inflammatory myopathy.