“The Great Imitator”

Lupus is known as “the great imitator”, because its symptoms mimic many other illnesses. Symptoms can also be unclear, can come and go, and can change.

— Lupus Foundation of America

Clinicians rely upon a series of 11 criteria to diagnose the disease.  According to the American College of Rheumatology (ACR) based classification for lupus, patients with 4 of the 11 criteria are diagnosed as lupus positive.  Classification is based on:

• Symptoms
• Medical history
• Laboratory Tests

Laboratory Tests

Early diagnosis is critical in avoiding major organ damage

• Laboratory tests are used to monitor some of the ACR criteria
  • Supplement clinical observations and judgment
• —No currently available single test can give a definite “yes” or “no” answer
  • Test results that are indicative of lupus may be due to other illnesses or can even be seen in healthy people
  • A test result may be positive one time and negative another time
  • Different laboratories may produce different test results
• Battery of tests that may be used in differential diagnoses include:
  • Routine blood test (e.g. CBC)
  • Antibody screening (e.g. ANA, anti-dsDNA)
  • Other blood tests(e.g. complement, CRP, coagulation times)
  • Urine analysis
  • Tissue biopsies