Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is an autoimmune inflammatory connective tissue disease involving multiple organs that affects mostly young women, with an increasing number of early, mild and atypical cases. Some patients with severe disease (except for those with diffuse proliferative glomerulonephritis) may sometimes resolve on their own. Some patients have “transient” episodes that disappear completely after a short course of several months. Most patients have fever, arthralgia, skin rash and organ involvement.
1. Fever
About 92% of patients have fever, 40% of patients have high fever, about 33% have moderate fever, and some patients have prolonged low fever.
2.Skin and mucous membrane damage
The most characteristic one is butterfly-shaped erythema on the face, which can also appear on the earlobes, large and small joints of the limbs, fingers, palms and toes; it is an irregular edematous erythema with bright red or purplish red color, clear or unclear boundary, which can be higher than the skin or not protruding from the skin; the erythema can be accompanied by bleeding and blistering. Some patients have mucosal damage, such as ulceration and erosion of the oral cavity, lips, tongue, nasal cavity and bronchi.
3.Joint and muscle lesions
The vast majority of patients (90%) have joint swelling and pain, often as one of the first symptoms, mostly in the proximal interphalangeal joints, knee joints, wrist joints and metacarpophalangeal joints. The elbow, shoulder, ankle and hip joints are less frequently involved muscle health and muscle spasm can cause joint deformity. In recent years, due to the application of hormones, the rate of aseptic necrosis of the femoral head and humerus has increased.
4.Renal damage
Renal biopsy, almost 100% of patients have kidney damage, and 60% of patients clinically show symptoms of nephritis.
5, cardiovascular manifestations
About 33% of patients have cardiovascular manifestations, pericarditis is most common, followed by endocarditis, myocarditis, myocardial infarction, etc.
6.Lung and pleural lesions
Pleural effusion, lupus pneumonia, pulmonary fibrosis, etc. are common comorbidities in lupus patients.
7. Gastrointestinal lesions
Gastrointestinal symptoms are present in 40% of patients, and gastrointestinal bleeding, obstruction, perforation and hepatosplenomegaly should also be noted.
8. Neurological manifestations
About half of the patients have neurological symptoms, which can be manifested as various mental disorders, and irreversible neurological damage can be formed if not handled properly.
9. Hematologic manifestations
Almost all patients have different degrees of blood cell reduction, such as red blood cells, white blood cells, platelets, etc.
10.Other
Active lupus erythematosus may have different degrees of lymph node enlargement, fundus lesions, etc.