| lupus erythematosus, systemic |
A chronic, relapsing, inflammatory, and often febrile multisystemic disorder of connective tissue, characterised principally by involvement of the skin, joints, kidneys, and serosal membranes. It is of unknown aetiology, but is thought to represent a failure of the regulatory mechanisms of the autoimmune system. The disease is marked by a wide range of system dysfunctions, an elevated erythrocyte sedimentation rate, and the formation of le cells in the blood or bone marrow.
(12 Dec 1998) |
