Case Study 76 Systemic Lupus Erythematosus

Case study 76: Systemic Lupus Erythematosus 1. What is the relevance of this information to her disease? - Because Lupus is an autoimmune disease that can involve almost any organ and can present in many ways. Common features include skin and mucus membranes, Joints, kidneys, CNS, cardiovascular system, etc. 2. What is the significance of the patient’s family history? - SLE is a complex autoimmune disease that develops through the interplay of genetic, epigenetic and environmental factors. 3. Is the patient underweight, overweight, obese, or is this patients weight considered healthy and normal? - The patients BMI is 17.1 which means she is underweight. Which is not normal or healthy, and considering she lost 23 pounds in a year, means that her condition may be getting worse. 4. Explain the pathophysiology that underlines hair loss in this patient and the relevance of the abnormal ESR. - ESR is an indirect indicator of inflammation. A high ESR, if there are no other reasons for it to be high, such as infection, suggests that lupus is active; a low test is reassuring. Normal values are for women younger than 50 years old: 0-20mm/hr, or >50 years: 0-30mm/hr. - Lupus can cause the hair on your scalp to gradually thin out, although a few people lose clumps of hair. Loss of eyebrow, eyelash, beard and body hair also is possible. Some people with lupus develop round (discoid) lesions on the scalp. Because these discoid lesions scar your hair follicles, they do cause permanent hair loss.