Eleven Diagnostic Criteria
- Malar rash: butterfly-shaped rash across cheeks and nose
- Discoid (skin) rash: raised red patches
- Photosensitivity: skin rash as result of unusual reaction to sunlight
- Mouth or nose ulcers: usually painless
- Arthritis (nonerosive) in two or more joints, along with tenderness, swelling, or effusion. With nonerosive arthritis, the bones around joints don’t get destroyed.
- Cardio-pulmonary involvement: inflammation of the lining around the heart (pericarditis) and/or lungs (pleuritis)
- Neurologic disorder: seizures and/or psychosis
- Renal (kidney) disorder: excessive protein in the urine, or cellular casts in the urine
- Hematologic (blood) disorder: hemolytic anemia, low white blood cell count, or low platelet count
- Immunologic disorder: antibodies to double stranded DNA, antibodies to Sm, or antibodies to cardiolipin
- Antinuclear antibodies (ANA): a positive test in the absence of drugs known to induce it.