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Signs
and symptoms
SLE
it is known as the great imitator because it has symptoms that vary so widely
if will often mimic or is mistaken for other illnesses.
The symptoms come and go unpredictably its diagnosis is elusive, and
patients suffer unexplained symptoms and SLE is becomes untreated for years.
Complaints are fever, malaise, joint pains, and fatigue.
They are often seen with other diseases that the signs and symptoms are
not part of the diagnostic criteria for SLE..
When occurring with other symptoms they then become suggestive.
Dermatological
manifestations
30%
of the patients present with dermatological symptoms with 30-50% suffer from
the classic malar rash are associated with the disease. Some patients present with discoid lupus, alopecia, mouth,
nasal, vaginal ulcers, and lesions on the skin are also manifestations.
Musculoskeletal
manifestations
Joint
pain is one manifestation that patients seek medical attention with small
joints of the hand and wrist which is affected, although any joint is at risk.
SLE arthropathy is not usually destructive of bone unlike rheumatoid
arthritis. However deformities caused by the disease may become
irreversible in as many a 20% of patients.
Hematological
manifestations
Iron
deficiency an anemia may develop in half the patients, low platelets and white
blood cell counts may be caused by the disease or may be a side affect.
Cardiac
manifestations
Inflammation
of various parts of the heart is present in patients with SLE such as
pericarditis, myocarditis, and endocarditis.
Endocarditis is non-infective and involves either the mitral valve or
the tricuspid valve.
Pulmonary
manifestations
Inflammation
of the lung and pleura can cause pleuritits, pleural effusion, lupus
pneumonitis, chronic diffuse interstitial lung disease, pulmonary
hypertension, pulmonary emboli, and pulmonary hemorrhage.
Renal
involvement
Renal
symptoms include painless hematuria or proteinuria.
Acute or chronic renal impairment may develop with lupus nephritis,
which can lead to acute or end stage renal failure.
SLE
is a membranous glomerulonephritis with abnormalities.
This being due to an immune complex deposition along the glomerular
hasement membrane.
Neurological
Manifestations
Seizures
or pschosis may be present in 10% of the patients and a third may test
positive for abnormalities in the CFS.
Abnormalities
of the T-cells they can also trigger symptoms associated with SLE.
Other
rarer manifestations are the following:
Lupus gastroenteritis, lupus pancreatitis, lupus cystitis, autoimmune inner
ear disease, parasympathetic dysfunction, retinal vasculitis, and systemic
vasculitis.
Some
other abnormalities include:
* Increased expression of FcεRIγ, which replaces the
deficient TCR ζ chain
* Increased and sustained calcium levels in T-cells
* Moderate increase of inositol triphosphate
* Reduction in PKC phosphorylation
* Reduction in Ras-MAP kinase signaling
* Deficiencies in protein kinase A I activity
^ Discoid Lupus
Erythematosus
SIGNS
AND SYMPTOMS OF LUPUS:
Lupus
is never exactly the same involving signs and symptoms is patients they can
develop slowly or suddenly, they may be mild or severe and may be temporary or
permanent. Even the rash does not
occur in every individual.
One
of the most common things with lupus is that the disease gets worse in
episodes which are flares can improve or even disappear over time.
Common
signs and symptoms
The
most common signs and symptoms of lupus, which usually develop at intervals,
rather than all at once, include the following:
·
Rash
·
Arthritis.
·
Kidney problems
·
Sensitivity to
sunlight (photosensitivity
·
Brain or
central nervous system problems
·
Heart problems.
·
Lung problems
·
Mucosal ulcers
·
Blood
vessel disorders.
·
Other signs and
symptoms
Other
signs and symptoms also may occur that aren't specific to lupus. These
include:
·
Fatigue.
·
Fever.
·
Raynaud's
phenomenon.
·
Swelling
·
Digestion
problems
Hair
loss
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