title: Systemic lupus erythematosus in Kuwait--hospital based study.
abstract: The present study describes the clinical characteristics of patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), from the rheumatology service of the two main teaching hospitals in Kuwait. It was a retrospective-cum-prospective clinical study of 108 SLE patients. There were 98 females and 10 males, with a median age of 31.5y. Kuwaitis constituted 69%, while 31% were expatriates. The mean disease duration was 62 months. The main clinical features were: musculoskeletal involvement (87%), photosensitivity (48%), malar rash (43%), discoid lesions (10%), oral ulcers (33%), vasculitic skin lesions (10%), haematological features (53%), constitutional symptoms (51.4%), neuropsychiatric manifestations (23%), renal involvement (37%), serositis (29%), clinical manifestations of antiphospholipid syndrome (21%), cardiac involvement (10%) and pulmonary manifestations (19%). In conclusion, the clinical features of SLE in Kuwait were similar to most major studies from developed countries. Main differences included prominent haematological and mucocutaneous manifestations and possibly a low prevalence of anti-Sm antibodies. Whether these differences are due to the environment or genetic factors, remains to be studied.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Kuwait University, Mubarak Al-Kabeer Hospital, Safat.
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Al-Jarallah
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Al-Awadi
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Siddiqui
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Al-Salim
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Shehab
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Umamaheswaran
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Gaurer
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Al-Saied
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Kumar
authors.forename: A N
authors.initials: AN
authors.lastname: Malaviya
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007730:Kuwait; D008180:Lupus Erythematosus, Systemic / Q000150:complications*; D008297:Male