title: Clinical picture of late-onset systemic lupus erythematosus in a group of Polish patients.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The prevalence of late-onset systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) diagnosed in patients over the age of 50 years is estimated at 10% to 20%. SLE in elderly patients has specific features with misleading signs and symptoms, but its clinical course seems milder compared with that in younger patients.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  The aim of the study was to assess clinical manifestations of late-onset SLE in a group of patients treated in Poland.
  
  
  METHODS
  From a group of 230 consecutive patients with SLE, individuals with late-onset disease were selected. We retrospectively analyzed the incidence of clinical features of SLE, concomitant diseases, and treatment. The incidence of clinical features in late-onset patients was compared with that in a group of 108 patients with early-onset SLE.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Late-onset SLE was confirmed in 20 patients (8.7%) including 16 women (80%) and 4 men (20%). A delay in diagnosis was 31.7 months (0-144). The most common SLE features were arthritis (50%), rash (40%), nephropathy (40%), photosensitivity (30%), mouth ulcerations (30%), interstitial lung disease (30%), fever (25%), leukopenia (65%), and thrombocytopenia (35%). Kidney involvement was present in all men and in 25% of women. Thrombotic complications were noted in 38.8% of the patients. Concomitant diseases were common in our study group.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The clinical picture of late-onset SLE differs from that of early-onset SLE. Arthritis, leukopenia, and thrombotic complications are frequent, while skin manifestations, photosensitivity, nephropathy, vasculitis, and central nervous system involvement are less common in late-onset SLE. The diagnosis of late-onset SLE is often delayed, and treatment is determined by the presence of concomitant diseases.
authors.forename: Radosław
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Jeleniewicz
authors.forename: Dorota
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Suszek
authors.forename: Maria
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Majdan
mesh_terms: D017668:Age of Onset; D000368:Aged; D001168:Arthritis / Q000150:complications; D057210:Delayed Diagnosis; D005076:Exanthema / Q000150:complications; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007674:Kidney Diseases / Q000150:complications; D007970:Leukopenia / Q000150:complications; D017563:Lung Diseases, Interstitial / Q000150:complications; D008180:Lupus Erythematosus, Systemic / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000473:pathology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011044:Poland; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013921:Thrombocytopenia / Q000150:complications