DRG Category: 546

Mean LOS: 5.3 days

Description MEDICAL: Connective Tissue Disorders with CC

DRG Category: 592

Mean LOS: 8.8 days

Description MEDICAL: Major Skin Disorders with Major CC

classification section:



Lupus erythematosus is an autoimmune disease that affects the connective tissue of the body. The course of disease is variable and unpredictable, with episodes of remission and relapse. Only a small percentage of patients (< 10%) have long-lasting remissions.

Lupus takes two forms. Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is a multisystem inflammatory disease that affects any body system but primarily the musculoskeletal, cutaneous, renal, nervous, and cardiovascular systems. Discoid lupus erythematosus (DLE) is a less serious form of the disease that primarily affects the skin. DLE is characterized by skin lesions of the face, scalp, and ears. Longstanding lesions can cause scarring, hypopigmentation, and redness. Only 5% to 10% of patients with DLE develop SLE. The multisystem nature of SLE places the patient at risk for multiple complications, and the disease is ultimately fatal. The survival of patients with SLE is about 90% at 5 years and 80% at 10 years. The most common causes of death are renal failure and infections, followed by neurological and cardiovascular disorders. In the last decades, therapy has reduced mortality from lupus with 5-year survival more than 90% and 20-year survival 70%.