Lupus affects women much more commonly than men.
It is identified by a rash that may appear on the face, neck, and scalp and does not generally involve the body's internal organs. In approximately 10 percent of patients, discoid lupus can evolve into the systemic form of the disease, which can affect almost any organ or system of the body. Treatment of discoid lupus will not prevent its progression to the systemic form. Generally, no two people with systemic lupus will have identical symptoms. Only about 4 percent of the people who take these drugs will develop the antibodies suggestive of lupus.