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Lupus

Discoid Lupus Explained

Elizabeth · December 30, 2021 ·

Discoid lupus must be just like “regular” lupus, right? I mean, lupus is lupus, no? You’d think so, but like most things within Rheumatology, it rarely makes that much sense. When one speaks of “lupus” they are usually talking about SLE or Systemic Lupus Erythematosus. SLE is a systemic (affects the entire body), autoimmune condition. Discoid Lupus, or DLE, is a condition solely of the skin. One can certainly have “discoid lesions” when they have SLE and we are always on alert for the development of SLE, but rest assured, they are two different entities. 

The name “discoid” stems from the description of the typical rash seen with DLE: a disc shaped, red patch with a scale and with scaring. It is common to worry about “progression to SLE.” Thankfully, development of SLE is the exception, rather than the rule. Although dermatologists are often the main caregivers of DLE, a full evaluation by a rheumatologist can provide insight and peace of mind.

[Read more…] about Discoid Lupus Explained

Pregnancy & Lupus

Elizabeth · December 27, 2021 ·

I’ve sat down with hundreds of young women as they find out they have lupus. Once a diagnosis is made, the conversations are largely one-sided. Explaining what lupus is, how we diagnosis it, and what we are going to do about it can take a while. I’ve seen every possible emotion you can think of wash over the faces of women as they absorb this news: relief at an answer, sadness at what it means, anger at why them, and then fear for their future. The fear, for many, circles around concerns over the possibility of a pregnancy with lupus. 

Lupus can affect anyone, but young women are the most commonly affected. Women in their teens, twenties and thirties, or what we call in medicine, the child-bearing years. Discussing issues related to pregnancy is a necessary component to a well-rounded lupus treatment strategy.

[Read more…] about Pregnancy & Lupus

Know the facts about your dsDNA antibody

Elizabeth · June 15, 2021 ·

Most lupus patients are familiar with the dsDNA antibody blood test. Like the ANA result, it is a blood test most closely related to  lupus. Occasionally a positive dsDNA result can be seen in other conditions. But, the presence of a dsDNA antibody is considered specific for a diagnosis of lupus. As there are multiple ways a lab may detect a dsDNA, there still remains the possibility of a false positive, but a positive dsDNA result warrants a trip to the rheumatologist. (Reminder = “false positive” simply means the test is positive, yet the patient doesn’t have the condition associated with that result) Patients often are referred to a rheumatologist with a notebook full of labs, mostly of all varieties of antibodies and it is overwhelming.

The dsDNA antibody is an antibody against the double stranded DNA that is found in all of our cells. By definition, it is considered an “anti-nuclear antibody.” It is very rare to have a negative ANA result yet a positive dsDNA antibody. It is most closely related to Lupus but it can also be seen in Sjogren’s Syndrome or Scleroderma.

Understand what your +dsDNA means
[Read more…] about Know the facts about your dsDNA antibody

Do you have common lupus symptoms?

Elizabeth · May 18, 2021 ·

This is going to sound strange and I hesitate to even say it…but after 10+ years of diagnosing and caring for lupus patients, I feel like I can “smell” lupus. It’s weird, I know. But when I’m approaching a consult, whether in the clinic or in the hospital, my lupus-spidey-sense gets activated if the patient has lupus. When I teach young doctors-in-training and listen to their long list of possible diagnoses, I get excited but also impatient, waiting for them to reach the same conclusion I’ve already reached.

Now that’s not to say that I’ve never been wrong. But it’s really just about pattern recognition. The tricky thing is that there are LOTS of patterns that are possible with lupus.

So many worry about having lupus, but do they have the common symptoms? Find out here!
[Read more…] about Do you have common lupus symptoms?

What you need to know about Lupus – Pt 2

Elizabeth · May 11, 2021 ·

Lupus is not a diagnosis that anyone wants to hear come from their doctor’s mouth. It’s not very well understood by most and although it can be comforting to know the reason for your symptoms, it can be downright terrifying to think about your future. Lupus is a condition of ups and downs, sometimes extreme downs, but it is possible to live a happy, full life while also living with lupus. 

What we call lupus is really a collection of manifestations of an imbalanced immune system that has led to out of control inflammation. There are some predictable lab and antibody tests as well as commonly seen symptoms that allow us to group people under the wide lupus umbrella, but the truth is, most lupus patients are very individual with nuances that are specific to them. For that reason it is dangerous to compare one’s lupus to someone else’s and why internet stories of “curing lupus” have to be taken with a giant grain of salt.

Learn the facts about Systemic Lupus Erythematosus
[Read more…] about What you need to know about Lupus – Pt 2
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