Hello and welcome to the Zero to Finals podcast.

My name is Tom and in this episode I'm going to be talking to you about systemic lupus erythematosis.

And you can find written notes on this topic at zero tofinals.com slash sLE

or in the rheumatology section of the second edition of the Zero to Finals Medicine book.

So let's get straight into it.

Systemic Lupus erythematosis or SLE is an inflammatory autoimmune connective tissue disorder.

It is systemic because it affects multiple systems and

organs. Erathematosis refers to the typical red malar rash that can occur across the face.

Systemic lupus erythematosis can affect anyone, but it occurs more commonly in women,

Asian, African, Caribbean and Hispanic ethnicity, and young to middle-aged adults.

The condition typically takes a relapsing, remitting course, with flare-ups where the symptoms are worse

and periods where the symptoms settle. The result of chronic inflammation means that

systemic lupus erythematosis can shorten life expectancy, although this is mitigated with

effective management. Cardiovascular disease and infection are significant complications.

Let's talk briefly about the pathophysiology.

Systemic lupus erythematosis is characterized by antinuclear antibodies.

These are auto-antibodies against proteins within the cell nucleus.

These antibodies generate a chronic inflammatory response by the immune system, leading to the

conditions features. Let's talk about the presentation.

Systemic lupus erythematosis presents with many non-specific symptoms, such as fatigue, weight loss,

arthralgia, or joint pain, non-erosive arthritis, myalgia or muscle pain, fever, a photosensitive malar rash, which we'll talk in more

detail about shortly, lymphadenopathy or abnormal enlarged lymph nodes, spleenomegaly, or an enlarged spleen,

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