title: [Current aspects of systemic lupus erythematosus in Dakar. About 74 cases].
abstract: BACKGROUND
  previously reported studies on systemic lupus erythematosus in Senegal were more then ten years old and reported few cases of patients. Our objectives were to update epidemiological, clinical, laboratory and evolutive aspects of systemic lupus erythematosus throughout a study of 74 patients.
  
  
  METHODS
  we conducted a retrospective study in the internal medicine and the dermatology units of the university teaching hospital Aristide Le Dantec from January 1993 to December 2002. All patients with systemic lupus erythematosus according to the ACR criteria were included. Those who didn't meet ACR criteria were excluded.
  
  
  RESULTS
  we included 74 patients; their mean age was 32 years and the sex ratio 0.1 (male to female). At the entry general symptoms were constants, and cutaneous signs were found in 96% of cases, joints signs in 58.1% and renal sign in 56.8%. Haematological and immunologic abnormalities were nearly constant. All the patients received corticosteroids and in 35.71% they had in addition immunosuppressive drugs. Shorts term evolution was satisfactory. At the medium term 27.02% of the patients were lost and 10.81% of them died.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  currents aspects of systemic lupus erythematosus in Dakar are improved by the early diagnosis when the disease is pauci-symptomatic and by the use immunosuppressive drugs in association with corticosteroids.
authors.affiliation: 1- Service de médecine interne, CHU Aristide Le Dantec de Dakar, Sénégal.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Fall
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Dia
authors.forename: E F
authors.initials: EF
authors.lastname: Ka
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Diallo
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Pouye
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kane
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Niang
authors.forename: M T
authors.initials: MT
authors.lastname: Dieng
authors.forename: M M
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Ka
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Diouf
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Ndiaye
authors.forename: Diop T
authors.initials: DT
authors.lastname: Moreira
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008180:Lupus Erythematosus, Systemic / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000628:therapy; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012675:Senegal; D055815:Young Adult