@article{3054590,
    title = "Incomplete lupus erythematosus: results of a multicentre study under the
supervision of the EULAR Standing Committee on International Clinical
Studies including Therapeutic Trials (ESCISIT)",
    author = "Swaak, AJG and van de Brink, H and Smeenk, RJT and Manger, K and Kalden, and JR and Tosi, S and Marchesoni, A and Domljan, Z and Rozman, B and Logar, and D and Pokorny, G and Kovacs, L and Kovacs, A and Vlachoyiannopoulos, PG and and Moutsopoulos, HM and Chwalinska-Sadowska, H and Dratwianka, B and and Kiss, E and Cikes, N and Anic, B and Schneider, M and Fischer, R and and Bombardieri, S and Mosca, M and Graninger, W and Smolen, JS and Study and Grp Incomplete SLE & SLE D",
    journal = "The Lancet Rheumatology",
    year = "2001",
    volume = "40",
    number = "1",
    pages = "89-94",
    publisher = "Oxford University Press",
    doi = "10.1093/rheumatology/40.1.89",
    keywords = "SLE; incomplete; disease activity; prognosis",
    abstract = "Objective. Patients characterized with antinuclear antibodies (ANA) and
disease symptoms related to one organ system can be described as having
incomplete systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). Thr aim of this
multicentre study was to describe the outcome of these so-called
incomplete SLE patients. Two aspects of the outcome were studied: (i)
the disease course, defined by the presence or absence of clinical
symptoms: and (ii) the number of patients that eventually developed full
SLE.
Methods. Outcome parameters were the ACR criteria, the SLE: disease
Activity Index (SLEDAI), the European Consensus Lupus Activity Measure
(ECLAM) and the requirement for treatment. In 10 European rheumatology
centres, patients who had been evaluated in the last 3 months of 1994
and had been diagnosed as having incomplete SLE on clinical grounds for
at least yr were included in the study. All 122, patients who were
included in the study were evaluated annually during 3 yr of follow-up.
Results. Our results are confined to a patient cohort defined by disease
duration of at least yr, being under clinical care at the different
centres in Europe. These patients showed disease activity that was
related mostly to symptoms of the skin and the musculoskeletal system,
and leucocytopenia. During the follow-up, low doses of prednisolone were
still being prescribed in 43%, of the patients. On recruitment to the
study, 22 of the 112 incomplete SLE patients already fulfilled the ACR
criteria for the diagnosis of SLE. Tn the 3 yr of follow-up only three
patients developed SLE.
Conclusions, A high proportion of patients in our cohort defined on
clinical grounds as having incomplete SLE eventually showed disease
activity defined by the SLEDAI as well as ECLAM. However, only three
cases developed to SLE during the follow-up. This suggests that
incomplete SLE forms a subgroup of SLE that has a good prognosis."
}