For lupus, register under the department of Rheumatology.

Written by Zhang Lin

Rheumatology and Immunology Nephrology

Updated on September 09, 2024

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Patients with lupus should visit the Department of Rheumatology and Immunology, as lupus is a clinically complex autoimmune disease. Many people think that lupus is a skin disease, but this is not the case. Lupus is a rheumatic and immunological disease, belonging to the category of rheumatic immunological diseases, and is an uncommon autoimmune disease.

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Written by Liu Li Ning

Rheumatology

1min

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What is lupus and is it serious?

Lupus erythematosus is an autoimmune disease, which can be very severe in some cases and mild in others. For example, cutaneous lupus erythematosus generally does not involve major organs and usually presents with mild symptoms, primarily affecting the skin and mucous membranes. However, systemic lupus erythematosus can affect significant organs like the kidneys and heart in many patients, often leading to severe medical conditions. Especially, patients with rapidly progressive glomerulonephritis and those with coronary atherosclerotic heart disease tend to have a higher mortality rate. If systemic lupus erythematosus is diagnosed, it is crucial to receive standardized treatment early. Typically, treatment involves long-term maintenance with corticosteroids and immunosuppressants to control the progression of the disease and reduce the likelihood of mortality.

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Written by Zhang Lin

Rheumatology and Immunology Nephrology

1min 6sec

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What should I do if I have a fever with lupus erythematosus?

When patients with lupus experience fever, the fundamental approach is the use of ample steroids or other immunosuppressive drugs for treatment, which generally can quickly normalize body temperature. However, some patients may also experience fever during steroid use, possibly due to the steroids reducing immune function and inducing a bacterial infection. At this point, it is necessary to find evidence of infection and promptly treat with adequate sensitive antibiotics. Then, there will certainly be questions about why patients with lupus who have a fever cannot use antibacterial drugs or antipyretics. This is because fever in lupus patients is often an important indicator of disease activity. During acute phases, the fever is typically high, not caused by external infections, thus antibacterial drugs are ineffective. Using antipyretics can temporarily normalize body temperature, but once the effect of the medication wears off, the high fever may recur. Patients with lupus should not casually use medications. If medication is needed, it should be used under the guidance of a doctor.

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Written by Liu Li Ning

Rheumatology

59sec

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What should I do about lupus erythematosus?

Lupus erythematosus requires early and formal treatment to stabilize the condition. For mild cutaneous lupus erythematosus, topical immunosuppressants, such as tacrolimus ointment, and immunomodulators, such as hydroxychloroquine, can be used. Low-dose corticosteroids may be necessary for combination therapy. Systemic lupus erythematosus generally requires corticosteroids as the basis of treatment, combined with one or several immunosuppressants to effectively control the disease. Systemic lupus erythematosus often involves multiple organs, with the kidneys, hematological system, and lungs being the most common. Therefore, it is necessary to use corticosteroids in combination with immunosuppressants to control the progression of the disease, as using only immunomodulators is often insufficient.

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Written by Liu Li Ning

Rheumatology

59sec

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What does the early rash of lupus look like?

The early characteristic rash of lupus erythematosus is typically a butterfly-shaped rash on the face. Other common presentations include palm and periungual erythema, discoid rash, nodular erythema, and livedo reticularis. If the rash is not notably itchy, it generally indicates lupus erythematosus. If there is significant itching, it may suggest the possibility of an allergic factor active in the disease. After immunosuppression, itchy rashes should be monitored for possible fungal infections. The specific pathogenesis of systemic lupus erythematosus is still unclear. If a patient exhibits the typical butterfly-shaped rash on the face, systemic lupus erythematosus should be highly suspected. Testing for antinuclear antibodies, and specifically for anti-Sm and double-stranded DNA antibodies, which represent a variety of autoantibodies, can diagnose systemic lupus erythematosus.

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Written by Zhang Lin

Rheumatology and Immunology Nephrology

56sec

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Lupus is what disease?

Lupus erythematosus, also known as systemic lupus erythematosus, is a chronic autoimmune disease involving multiple systems and organs. Patients' serum contains various autoantibodies, with the main pathological changes being inflammatory reactions and vascular abnormalities. Most patients exhibit butterfly-shaped erythema on the bridge of the nose and cheeks, which is the most characteristic manifestation of lupus erythematosus. The clinical presentations of systemic lupus erythematosus are diverse, generally characterized by the "four multiples": involvement of multiple systems, multiple organs, multiple autoantibodies, and a higher prevalence among women of childbearing age. Without proper and effective treatment, the mortality rate is high, with the main causes of death being infections, renal failure, and damage to the central nervous system.