HIGH MORTALITY WITH SYSTEMIC LUPUS-ERYTHEMATOSUS IN HOSPITALIZED AFRICAN BLACKS

This survey was undertaken to determine the clinical spectrum and outc ome of SLE in hospitalized African blacks in Durban, South Africa. We reviewed the hospital records of all patients with SLE who were seen d uring 1984 and 1990. Eighty-five patients were seen and their mean age at diagnosis was 33.3 years. The prevalence of the various diagnostic criteria was as follows: cutaneous, 68%; arthritis, 66%; renal, 65%; serositis, 29%; neuropsychiatric, 21%; haematological, 71%; immunologi cal, 49%; anti-nuclear factor, 98%. Follow up data were not available in many patients but 25 (29%) are known to have died. The commonest ca uses of death were renal, infection, neurological and cardiac. This su rvey shows that SLE is being recognized more frequently in African Bla cks and is associated with a high mortality.