Systemic Lupus Erythematosus
Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is a rare autoimmune disease and is classified among inflammatory rheumatic diseases.
Systemic lupus erythematosus belongs to the group of connective tissue diseases (also called collagenoses), meaning it is a connective tissue disorder.
In lupus, the immune system attacks the body’s own connective tissue and causes inflammation. The connective tissue is found in 80% of the body. It is the tissue that connects, separates, and supports all other types of tissue in the body.
Lupus is a rare disease
One in 14 people in Switzerland lives with a rare disease.
Currently, 7,000–8,000 rare diseases are known worldwide. One in 14 people in Switzerland—around 580,000 people—live with a rare disease. One of these rare diseases is lupus, which is estimated to affect around 3,000 people in Switzerland (30–50 per 100,000 inhabitants).
Some facts about lupus
- Approximately 90% of those affected are women.
- Lupus is chronic, occurs in irregular flare-ups, and is very individual in each person affected.
- Lupus is neither psychosomatic nor contagious, nor is it directly hereditary.
- Lupus is currently not curable. Depending on which organs are affected, lupus may present as a mild, severe, or life-threatening disease.
- For those affected, it can be distressing that lupus is unknown in their immediate environment and in public, and is often invisible.
The butterfly rash as a typical symptom of the disease
The term “lupus” is derived from the Latin word for “wolf”.
In the past, the scars that remained after the facial rash (butterfly rash) healed were compared to scars from wolf bites. Today, thanks to modern treatment options, such scars are now rare. “Erythematosus” means “reddened”, i.e., reddish and inflamed.
You will find initial, important information in these documents.