The epidemiology of lupus erythematosus

Abstract

Lupus erythematosus (LE) is an autoimmune disorder that includes a broad spectrum of clinical forms, ranging from those with lesions confined to the skin to others with more generalized involvement, then termed systemic LE (SLE) . Although previously considered a rare disease, LE now seems to be relatively common in certain groups, probably owing to the development of several immunologic tests that identify many atypical or benign cases that otherwise might not be diagnosed. Furthermore, since the introduction in 1982 by the American College of Rheumatology (ACR) of a set of more sensitive criteria for SLE classification, more cases are now being detected. It is noteworthy that cutaneous manifestations account for 4 of the 11 revised criteria for the classification of SLE. In the present chapter,we present the most important data regarding the incidence and prevalence of LE in the general population; the epidemiology of the main clinical and immunologic features of LE,with special emphasis on the more relevant cutaneous manifestations; overall information on the patterns of disease expression in specific subsets; and studies on mortality in LE.