Lupus in a nutshell -- What to look for? -- The rise and rise of lupus -- What causes lupus? -- Lupus and the world around us -- Features of Lupus -- The clinical picture -- The skin -- The kidney -- Heart and lungs -- The brain -- The blood -- Pregnancy and lupus -- ’First Cousins of Lupus’ -- Sjögren’s syndrome -- Hughes syndrome (antiphospholipid syndrome) -- Mixed connective tissue disease (Sharpe’s syndrome) -- Tests in Lupus -- Antibody tests -- Other tests -- Treatment of Lupus -- General treatment of lupus -- Plaquenil® and antimalarials -- Steroids -- Immunosuppresives -- Other drugs and treatments in lupus -- Treatment of Hughes syndrome -- Osteoporosis and lupus -- The future -- Where can I find out more?.

Lupus is an autoimmune disease that can affect virtually any system in the body. Think of it as a 'self-allergy' where the body attacks its own cells and tissues, causing inflammation, pain, and possible organ damage. Lupus is an extremely common and potentially treatable disease of the immune system. It affects approximately 1 in 1000 women and is more common than diseases such as multiple sclerosis and leukaemia. The London Lupus Centre Book of Lupus - a patient's guide provides a concise source of information on lupus and the surrounding issues. It will guide the reader through symptoms, causes and treatment of lupus, as well as more specific issues such as lupus in pregnancy, or osteoporosis and lupus. With a chapter on the 'first cousins' of lupus, namely Sjogren's syndrome, Hughes' syndrome and mixed connective tissue disease, the book is a useful resource not only for the lupus patient, but also for the interested general public and the medical nursing professions. Professor Graham R. V. Hughes is Head of the London Lupus Centre, UK; a founding member of the national patients' charity 'Lupus UK', and life President; founder and editor of the international journal Lupus. In 1983, Professor Hughes described the anti-phospholipid syndrome, now known as Hughes' syndrome, for which he was awarded the International League Against Rheumatism prize for research into rheumatic diseases.