What are the criteria for diagnosing lupus?
The following eleven criteria for formal classification were established by the American College of Rheumatology. If at least four of the eleven criteria develop at one time, or individually over any period of observation, you may have lupus. • Malar rash a redness or rash that may appear in a butterfly configuration across the nose and cheeks. It can appear on one or both sides of the face and is usually flat • Discoid rash thick raised patches that can occur on any part of the body and may result in scarring • Sun-sensitivity a reaction to sunlight that is more severe than just sunburn • Oral ulcers frequent development of mouth or nose ulcers • Inflammation of joints pain, tenderness or swelling in two or more joints Inflammation of the lining of the lungs (pleurisy) or heart (pericarditis) • Kidney disorder existence of excessive protein in the urine (proteinuria), or the existence of cellular casts in the urine.
