A flare up of disease activity can be precipitated by infections, physical or emotional stress, sunlight, surgery, pregnancy, and certain medications. Like rheumatoid arthritis, SLE is treated by a variety of potentially toxic medications. The risk of life-threatening complications is greatest in the first 5 years from onset. SLE can also be drug induced but the signs and symptoms of lupus should reverse on removal of the drug. Drug induced lupus is typically milder and has less complications and less renal disease.
Discoid lupus is a limited disease with superficial skin involvement only.
It has no systemic features, although a small number of cases have been known to develop into systemic lupus.