What Are the Types of Lupus?

Depending on the type of lupus you have, different parts of your body will be affected by the disease, and it will vary in its severity.

Key Takeaways:

According to the Lupus Foundation of America, 1.5 million Americans are living with some form of lupus today. But a diagnosis of lupus can have several different meanings: Some people experience only mild disease activity that becomes apparent when they exhibit the classic lupus rash; others can have a life-threatening type of lupus that affects almost every part of the body.

The first lupus diagnosis dates back to the Middle Ages. The term "lupus" comes from the Latin word for wolf — the 12th-century physician Rogerius thought the skin lesions seen in lupus looked like a wolf's bite. It was not until 1872 that physicians documented a more severe form of lupus that was characterized by fever, weight loss, anemia, and arthritis.

Today experts know that lupus is actually an autoimmune disease — a condition that occurs when the immune system turns against itself. Normally the immune system makes proteins called antibodies that protect the body from infections. In people with an autoimmune disease, however, the immune system loses the ability to tell the difference between outside invaders and the body's normal cells. The inflammation caused by "autoantibodies" is what causes the symptoms seen in lupus.

What Are the Different Types of Lupus?

Several types of lupus are recognized today. These include:

• Cutaneous lupus. This was the first type of lupus to be diagnosed, and it affects about 10 percent of everyone diagnosed with lupus, according to the Lupus Foundation of America. This form of the condition affects only the skin, causing thick, red, scaly rashes on the face, neck, and scalp. After the rash goes away, it can leave scarring and can cause hair loss in the scalp area.

  The most common type of cutaneous lupus is called discoid lupus. The rash of discoid lupus may last for a few days or, for some, go on for years. It can go away for a long time and then come back. Discoid lupus is much more common in women than men and usually occurs between the ages of 20 and 50.

  In about 10 percent of people with cutaneous lupus, the condition progresses to systemic lupus, a more serious form of the disease, says the Lupus Foundation of America. It may also be that these people already had systemic lupus, and the rash was just the first symptom.

• Systemic lupus. Systemic lupus is the most common type of lupus, making up about 70 percent of all diagnosed cases, according to the Lupus Foundation of America. It is usually referred to simply as "lupus." This kind of lupus can affect almost any part of the body. About half of those with systemic lupus have a major organ (lungs, brain, heart, or others) affected by the disease. Ninety percent of people diagnosed with systemic lupus are women in their childbearing years. Black women are three times more likely to get lupus than white women.

  Symptoms of systemic lupus can be mild or severe and tend to come and go over time. Common symptoms include:

  • Painful joints
  • Fevers
  • Rashes caused by sun exposure
  • Hair loss
  • Loss of circulation in toes or fingers
  • Swelling in the legs
  • Ulcers inside the mouth
  • Swollen glands
  • Extreme tiredness

The most common type of cutaneous lupus is called discoid lupus. The rash of discoid lupus may last for a few days or, for some, go on for years. It can go away for a long time and then come back. Discoid lupus is much more common in women than men and usually occurs between the ages of 20 and 50.

In about 10 percent of people with cutaneous lupus, the condition progresses to systemic lupus, a more serious form of the disease, says the Lupus Foundation of America. It may also be that these people already had systemic lupus, and the rash was just the first symptom.

Symptoms of systemic lupus can be mild or severe and tend to come and go over time. Common symptoms include:

• Painful joints
• Fevers
• Rashes caused by sun exposure
• Hair loss
• Loss of circulation in toes or fingers
• Swelling in the legs
• Ulcers inside the mouth
• Swollen glands
• Extreme tiredness

• Drug-induced lupus. This type of lupus diagnosis is very rare and occurs as a result of taking certain types of medications for a long period of time. The most common medications linked to this form of lupus are hydralazine (Apresoline), used to treat high blood pressure, and procainamide (Pronestyl), used to treat irregular heart rhythms. However, many of the drugs that can cause drug-induced lupus are being used less frequently today.

  Symptoms may be similar to those of systemic lupus and can include muscle and joint pain, fever, and rash. Men are more likely to have drug-induced lupus than women. Once the medication is stopped, symptoms of drug-induced lupus typically go away within six months, and it does not lead to systemic lupus.

• Neonatal lupus. This type of lupus diagnosis is also very rare. It occurs when a mother with certain kinds of lupus antibodies transfers them to her child at birth. The mother may have these antibodies without having lupus herself. Approximately 40 percent of mothers of babies with neonatal lupus have lupus. Symptoms in the child can include a rash, anemia, and, very infrequently, heart problems. Heart problems may require the use of a pacemaker, but most children with neonatal lupus go on to lead normal lives. In the vast majority of cases, neonatal lupus does not need to be treated and disappears within a few weeks. Most mothers with lupus do not have babies with neonatal lupus.

Symptoms may be similar to those of systemic lupus and can include muscle and joint pain, fever, and rash. Men are more likely to have drug-induced lupus than women. Once the medication is stopped, symptoms of drug-induced lupus typically go away within six months, and it does not lead to systemic lupus.

• Childhood lupus. Systemic lupus can also occur in children. Although many of the symptoms are the same as in adult lupus, childhood lupus is more common in boys and is more likely to affect the kidneys. Childhood lupus may require more aggressive treatment than adult lupus.

Cutaneous, drug-induced, and neonatal lupus are milder forms of lupus that can resolve on their own. Although there is no cure for systemic lupus, drug treatment is usually effective in relieving symptoms, and people with systemic lupus can lead active, productive lives.

Source: http://www.everydayhealth.com