SLE can be hard to diagnose because:
Your doctor may think you have it if you have at least four of these signs:
Changes in the blood and kidneys may be found through:
SLE can cause changes in the blood. They differ from person to person, but may be:
You may have a change in kidney function if you have proteins, blood, or other substances in your urine.
Guidelines for referral and management of systemic lupus erythematosus in adults. American College of Rheumatology Ad Hoc Committee on Systemic Lupus Erythematosus Guidelines. Arthritis Rheum. 1999;42(9):1785-1796.
How is lupus diagnosed? Lupus Foundation of America website. Available at:
...(Click grey area to select URL)
Accessed September 4, 2018.
Lupus. National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases website. Available at:
...(Click grey area to select URL)
Updated June 30, 2016. Accessed August 31, 2018.
Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). EBSCO DynaMed Plus website. Available at: http://www.dynamed.com/topics/dmp~AN~T115873/Systemic-lupus-erythematosus-SLE . Updated July 20, 2018. Accessed August 31, 2018.
Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). Merck Manual Professional Version website. Available at:
...(Click grey area to select URL)
Updated February 2018. Accessed August 31, 2018.
Last reviewed May 2018 by
EBSCO Medical Review Board
Daniel A. Ostrovsky, MD
Last Updated: 9/4/2018