DIAGNOSTICS

SYMPTOMS

SLE

Malar rash, joint pain, and extreme fatigue are common presenting symptoms among men and women.8

Some presenting symptoms are more commonly associated with a specific gender:9-11

More Common in Women

  • Raynaud's phenomenon
  • Photosensitivity
  • Mucosal ulceration
  • Malar rash

More Common in Men

  • Renal disease
  • Skin manifestations
  • Cytopenias
  • Serositis
  • Neurologic involvement
  • Thrombosis
  • Cardiovascular disease
  • Hypertension
  • Vasculitis

SLE-ILD

  • Symptomatic ILD typically occurs in ~3%-8% of patients with SLE1
    • Approximately 1 in 3 patients has interstitial abnormalities on HRCT12
  • Patients with SLE who have multiple end-organ manifestations are more likely to have ILD12

Common SLE-ILD Presenting Symptoms:13

  • Acute dyspnea
  • Cough
  • Fever
  • Pleuritic pain
  • Occasionally pulmonary hemorrhage

ILD in SLE patients can have 2 differential diagnoses: alveolar hemorrhage (rare), and lupus pneumonitis, which occurs in 1%-10% of SLE patients.1

DIAGNOSIS FOR SLE1 DIAGNOSIS FOR SLE-ILD1,2,12,14
Established diagnosis of SLE
OR
medical history + thorough physical exam + serologies (Antinuclear Antibody (ANA), anti-dsDNA (double stranded DNA), anti-Sm (autoantibodies to the nuclear Sm (Smith) proteins).
PFTs HRCT Lung Biopsy BAL
Restrictive defect (or mixed, if other comorbidities present); reduced diffusing capacity of the lung for carbon monoxide (DLCO) Nonspecific Interstitial Pneumonia (NSIP), Organizing Pneumonia (OP), Lymphoid Interstitial Pneumonia (LIP),
Usual Interstitial Pneumonia (UIP) - very rare
Rarely used Primarily for exclusion of other causes

See also

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Interstitial lung disease in systemic sclerosis with a focus on chest CT

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