Because many lupus symptoms mimic other illnesses, are sometimes vague and may come and go, lupus can be difficult to diagnose. Diagnosis is usually made by a careful review of a person's entire medical history coupled with an analysis of the results obtained in routine laboratory tests and some specialized tests related to immune status. Currently, there is no single laboratory test that can determine whether a person has lupus or not. To assist the physician in the diagnosis of lupus, the American College of Rheumatology (ACR) in 1982 issued a list of 11 symptoms or signs that help distinguish lupus from other diseases (see Table 2). This has recently been revised . A person should have four or more of these symptoms to suspect lupus. The symptoms do not all have to occur at the same time.
Eleven criteria for diagnosing Lupus
| Malar Rash |
Rash over the cheeks |
| Discoid Rash |
Red raised patches |
| Photosensitivity |
Reaction to sunlight, resulting in the development of or increase in skin rash |
| Oral Ulcers |
Ulcers in the nose or mouth, usually painless |
| Arthritis |
Nonerosive arthritis involving two or more peripheral joints (arthritis in which the bones around the joints do not become destroyed) |
| Serositis |
Pleuritis or pericarditis (inflammation of the lining of the lung or heart) |
| Renal Disorder |
Excessive protein in the urine (greater than 0.5 gm/day or 3+ on test sticks) and/or cellular casts (abnormal elements the urine, derived from red and/or white cells and/or kidney tubule cells) |
Neurologic
Disorder |
Seizures (convulsions) and/or psychosis in the absence of drugs or metabolic disturbances which are known to cause such effects |
Hematologic
Disorder |
Hemolytic anemia or leukopenia (white blood count below 4,000 cells per cubic millimeter) or lymphopenia (less than 1,500 lymphocytes per cubic millimeter) or thrombocytopenia (less than 100,000 platelets per cubic millimeter). The leukopenia and lymphopenia must be detected on two or more occasions. The thrombocytopenia must be detected in the absence of drugs known to induce it. |
Antinuclear
Antibody |
Positive test for antinuclear antibodies (ANA) in the absence of drugs known to induce it. |
Immunologic
Disorder |
Positive anti-double stranded anti-DNA test, positive anti-Sm test, positive antiphospholipid antibody such as anticardiolipin, or false positive syphilis test (VDRL). |
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