Discoid lupus erythematosus (DLE) Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) Lupus is a type of autoimmune disease (in which the immune system attacks the body’s own tissues). In lupus, the immune system attacks the connective tissue. This is the material that supports, connects, or binds other tissues or organs and it occurs throughout the body—in the skin, joints, internal organs, and walls of blood vessels, for example.
The most common type of lupus is discoid lupus erythematosus (DLE), which affects only exposed areas of skin, such as the face, scalp, and behind the ears.
A more serious form, systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), can affect many tissues and organs, including the skin.
In both types, symptoms subside and then recur with varying severity. In DLE, a red, itchy, scaly rash develops. Exposure to sunlight tends to trigger onset of the rash or make an existing rash worse.
The rash may leave scars or, if it occurs on the scalp, bald patches. SLE can cause a wide variety of symptoms, depending on which parts of the body are affected.
A common symptom is a butterfly-shaped rash on the face; other symptoms may include joint pain, fever, fatigue, weight loss, and mouth ulcers. There may also be other problems, such as anemia; kidney failure; inflammation of the membranes around the lungs or the membrane around the heart; and, if the nervous system is affected, headaches, blurred vision, and strokes. There is no cure for either type of lupus, but medication can usually control symptoms