Lupus is a chronic autoimmune disease that causes inflammation. It can damage many parts of the body, including the joints, skin, kidneys, heart, lungs, blood vessels, and brain. A type of lupus known as discoid lupus causes red rashes on skin (especially on face or hands) which do not go away easily. The rashes become well defined, thickened and scaly with time and worsen on exposure to sunlight. Red or purple lines or spots appear in fingernail folds or on the tips of fingers.

The image shows common signs and symptoms of lupus. The list of symptoms of lupus is lenghy. The listed symptoms are the most common of the many lupus symptoms. Lupus affects everyone differently, but certain signs and symptoms are common. The most common of them are fatigue, fever, joint pain, stiffness and swelling. The disease can affect many different parts of the body.

Some follicle structures can be seen on the right portion of the image while the inflammatory process has destroyed the follicles on the left (Magnification 40x)

When systemic lupus flares up, one can get a sunburn-like rash on his/her face. This “butterfly” kind of rash is a sign of acute cutaneous lupus (ACLE). People with lupus generally experience flare-ups of symptoms followed by periods of remission.

Our immune system is made to fight dangerous infections and bacteria to keep our body healthy. An autoimmune disease occurs when the immune system attacks the body's own cells because it confuses it for a foreign matter. There are many autoimmune diseases, and systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is one of them.