SYSTEMIC LUPUS-ERYTHEMATOSUS IN KUWAIT - HOSPITAL-BASED STUDY

The present study describes the clinical characteristics of patients w ith systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), from the rheumatology service of the two main teaching hospitals in Kuwait. It was a retrospeorive-c um-prospective clinical study of 108 SLE patients. There were 98 femal es and 10 males, with a median age of 31.5 y. Kuwaitis constituted 69% , while 31% were expatriates. The mean disease duration was 62 months. The main clinical features were: musculoskeletal involvement (87%), p hotosensitivity (48%), malar rash (43%), discoid lesions (10%), oral u lcers (33%), vasculitic skill lesions (10%), haematological features ( 53%), constitutional symptoms (51.4%), neuropsychiatric manifestations (23%), renal involvement (37%), serositis (29%), clinical manifestati ons of antiphospholipid syndrome (21%), cardiac involvement (10%) and pulmonary manifestations (19%). In conclusion, the clinical features o f SLE in Kuwait were similar to most major studies from developed coun tries, Main differences included prominent haematological and mucocuta neous manifestations and possibly a low prevalence of anti-Sm antibodi es. Whether these differences are due to the environment or genetic fa ctors, remains to be studied.