[Systemic lupus erythematosus]

Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is a highly variable disease driven by the tendency to form very different types of antibody. This sometimes leads to an exaggerated respect for the complexity of the disease symptoms and to uncertainty in dealing with affected patients; however, nowadays the most important measures in the diagnosis and management of the disease can be broken down to a manageable extent. In this respect, the new recommendations of the European League Against Rheumatism (EULAR) on SLE and the recommendations on lupus nephritis jointly developed by EULAR and the European Renal Association/European Dialysis and Transplant Association (ERA/EDTA) are helpful, as are the new classification criteria from EULAR and the American College of Rheumatology (ACR). In this article the core points of these publications are summarized and contemporary SLE management is presented. As a rule, SLE can be effectively treated when managed in this way.