What are the symptoms of systemic lupus erythematosus

Systemic lupus erythematosus is an autoimmune disease that can cause damage to various organs of the body, posing a great threat to health. The symptoms of systemic lupus erythematosus are relatively obvious, and the type can be easily distinguished from the symptoms.

1. Discoid lupus erythematosus: It mainly invades the skin and is the lightest type of lupus erythematosus. A few may have mild visceral damage, and a few cases may develop into systemic lupus erythematosus. Skin lesions initially appear as one or several bright red spots, the size of mung beans to soybeans, with sticky scales on the surface. They gradually expand and become round or irregular in shape, with the edges significantly darker in pigment and slightly higher than the center. The center is pale, may shrink and become low-lying, and the entire lesion is disc-shaped (hence the name discoid lupus erythematosus).

The lesions are mainly distributed in sun-exposed areas such as the face, earlobes and scalp. A few cases may involve the upper chest, back of the hands, forearms, lips and oral mucosa. Most patients have no symptoms of skin lesions, but it is difficult for them to disappear completely. New lesions may gradually increase or remain unchanged for many years. The lesions are sparsely and symmetrically distributed, or they may merge into pieces. Lesions in the middle of the face may merge into a butterfly shape. Discoid lesions worsen after sun exposure or exertion. Damage to the scalp can cause permanent hair loss. Old lesions occasionally develop into squamous cell carcinoma of the skin.

2. Systemic lupus erythematosus: It is the most serious type of lupus erythematosus. The vast majority of patients show multi-system damage at the onset of the disease, and a small number of patients develop the disease from other types of lupus erythematosus. Some patients also have other connective tissue diseases, such as scleroderma, dermatomyositis, Sjögren's syndrome, etc., forming various overlapping syndromes. The clinical manifestations of systemic lupus erythematosus are diverse, complex, and often severe, and may endanger the patient's life due to lupus nephritis, lupus encephalopathy, and side effects of long-term and excessive use of drugs.

3. Deep lupus erythematosus: also known as lupus panniculitis, which is also an intermediate type of lupus erythematosus. Skin lesions are nodules or plaques located in the deep dermis or subcutaneous fat tissue. Their size and number are uncertain, the surface skin color is normal or light red, the texture is firm and non-mobile. Lesions may occur anywhere, but are most common on the cheeks, buttocks, arms, and, to a lesser extent, the calves and chest. It is chronic and can last for months to years, leaving skin atrophy and depression after healing. Deep lupus erythematosus is unstable in nature and can exist alone. It can later transform into discoid lupus erythematosus or systemic lupus erythematosus, or exist simultaneously with them.