systemic lupus erythematosus
Học thuậtThân thiện
Definition
Noun: * An autoimmune disease: A chronic inflammatory disease where the body's immune system mistakenly attacks its own healthy tissues and organs, particularly connective tissue. * A multi-system disorder: It can affect many different body systems, including the skin, joints, kidneys, blood cells, brain, heart, and lungs. * Characterized by variable features: Its symptoms are highly variable and may include fatigue, joint pain, skin rashes (often a facial "butterfly" rash), fever, and sensitivity to sunlight.
Usage Examples
- Noun:
- The patient was diagnosed with systemic lupus erythematosus after presenting with joint pain and a characteristic facial rash.
- Managing systemic lupus erythematosus often requires a combination of medication and lifestyle changes.
- Her systemic lupus erythematosus went into remission, allowing her to resume many of her normal activities.
Advanced Usage
- "SLE flare" or "lupus flare": A period when the symptoms of systemic lupus erythematosus become significantly more active or severe.
- Stress can sometimes trigger an SLE flare.
- In formal medical contexts, the term is often abbreviated to "SLE" after being spelled out once.
- The study focused on new treatment protocols for SLE.
Variants and Related Words
- Lupus (n.): A common, informal shorthand for systemic lupus erythematosus. (Note: "Lupus" can also refer to other conditions, like discoid lupus, which primarily affects the skin).
- Lupus nephritis (n.): A serious complication of systemic lupus erythematosus involving inflammation of the kidneys.
- Drug-induced lupus (n.): A lupus-like disease caused by certain medications, which usually resolves after the medication is stopped.
Synonyms
- SLE (the standard medical abbreviation).
- Lupus (common, but less precise, shorthand).
Related Phrases
- Butterfly rash: A common red, butterfly-shaped rash across the cheeks and nose, often associated with systemic lupus erythematosus.
- The presence of a butterfly rash is a key diagnostic clue for systemic lupus erythematosus.
- Autoimmune disorder/disease: The broader category of conditions to which systemic lupus erythematosus belongs.
- Systemic lupus erythematosus is one of the most common autoimmune disorders.
Noun
- an inflammatory disease of connective tissue with variable features including fever and weakness and fatigability and joint pains and skin lesions on the face or neck or arms