Lupus Erythematosus

Different Types Of Lupus
Lupus erythematosus is an autoimmune disease of unknown cause defined by a list of clinical characteristics in association with auto antibody production. There are different types of skin involvement in Lupus Erythematosus...

Frequently Asked Questions About Lupus
How Is Cutaneous Lupus Erythematosus Diagnosed?
What Else Looks Like Lupus Erythematosus Of The Skin?
Is Cutaneous Lupus Erythematosus Caused By Drugs?
What Causes Lupus Erythematosus?

What Can You Do About Your Lupus Erythematosus?
The goals of lupus treatment are to control and stop the development of new lesions so as to minimize and prevent scarring and disfigurement. In addition, scars can be appropriately managed to minimize their cosmetic impact...

What Aggravates Lupus?
Sunlight, smoking and trauma aggravates lupus.
The specific lesions of cutaneous lupus erythematosus occur on sun-exposed skin. In addition a significant proportion ( up to 70%) of patients report that their skin disease and possibly even systemic disease is aggravated by sunlight exposure.
Recent studies have shown that smoking increases the risk of developing cutaneous lesions of lupus erythematosus.
The specific skin lesions of lupus erythematosus can spread to areas of freshly damaged skin. In this way, lesions may spread to areas of previous sunburn or to areas that have undergone recent surgery.

Medical Treatment For Lupus
Topical and local treatment like corticsteriod cream or ointment, systemic treatment like vitamin A derivatives (isotretinoin or acitretin)or severe lupus uses more potent immunosuppressive drugs.
Individual lesions of lupus are best treated by the application of topical corticosteroid medications, either in cream or ointment form. The potency of the corticosteroid used, will vary with the thickness of the lesions and their location.
In the presence of advancing disease despite local therapy or in the presence of widespread disease, systemic therapy is considered...