What is a common musculoskeletal symptom reported by patients with SLE?

Joint pain or arthritis is a common musculoskeletal symptom reported by patients with Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE). This inflammatory disease can lead to synovitis and joint inflammation, causing individuals to experience persistent pain, swelling, and stiffness in their joints. The pain often affects multiple joints symmetrically and can be accompanied by morning stiffness.

In SLE, the immune system mistakenly attacks the body’s own tissues, which includes the synovial linings of joints. This can result in symptoms that resemble rheumatoid arthritis, but the underlying pathology is distinct to lupus. The prevalence of musculoskeletal symptoms, particularly joint manifestations, is significant: studies indicate that up to 90% of SLE patients report joint pain at some point during their illness.

While chest pain, headaches, and nausea can occur in patients with SLE, they are not as specific or as commonly reported as joint pain. Chest pain in SLE may arise from pleuritis or pericarditis, headaches could be related to neuropsychiatric lupus, and nausea might be attributed to medications or digestive issues. However, joint pain remains one of the hallmark features of the disease, highlighting the importance of recognizing it for diagnosis and management of SLE