How Is Drug-Induced Lupus Different From SLE?
• Acute onset SLE, especially in young women, is usually not confused with drug-induced lupus, due to the general lack of skin disease, kidney disease, and the milder symptoms. • Oral ulcers, photosensitivity, hair loss, and central nervous system disease are also very rare in DILE. • However, the onset of SLE in elderly people often fails to show the disease’s classical features: – Sometimes the symptoms can be just like the symptoms of drug-induced lupus. – However, many elderly people take several medications. – Therefore, knowing that one of these drugs has a risk for producing lupus-like side-effects should raise suspicion. Laboratory tests can also be used to distinguish these two diseases. People with SLE usually have more abnormal immunological features (although both people with SLE and people with DILE have ANA and anti-histone-DNA antibodies). If possible, the suspected medication should be discontinued or replaced with one that is similar. Symptoms that go away within a wee
