The autoimmune disease that attacks multiple organs and tissues throughout the body, often called the "great imitator," is Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE), commonly known as Lupus, causing inflammation affecting joints, skin, kidneys, blood cells, brain, heart, and lungs. While lupus is a primary example, other systemic autoimmune conditions like Sjögren's and scleroderma can also affect multiple organs, but lupus is famous for its widespread, multi-organ impact.
Systemic lupus erythematosus – affects connective tissue and can strike any organ system of the body.
Rare Life-Threatening Autoimmune Diseases
Goodpasture syndrome is a rare autoimmune disorder in which your body mistakenly makes antibodies that attack the lungs and kidneys. It most often occurs in people ages 20 to 30 or older than age 60. It is more common in men. It can be fatal if not quickly diagnosed and treated.
Autoimmune disease
Among these diseases, we include celiac disease, inflammatory bowel disease, autoimmune enteropathy, autoimmune hepatitis, primary sclerosing cholangitis and primary biliary cholangitis.
Some common autoimmune diseases, including Type 1 diabetes mellitus, are relatively easy to diagnose, while others, such as vasculitis, Addison's disease, lupus, and other rheumatic diseases, are more difficult.
Systemic scleroderma, also called systemic sclerosis, affects many systems in the body. This is the more serious type of scleroderma and can damage your blood vessels and internal organs, such as the heart, lungs, and kidneys.
Early signs of amyloidosis are often vague, mimicking other conditions, but can include extreme fatigue, unexplained weight loss, swelling (ankles/legs), numbness/tingling in hands/feet (Carpal Tunnel Syndrome), shortness of breath, easy bruising (especially around eyes), and digestive issues like diarrhea, with the specific symptoms depending on the affected organs (heart, kidneys, nerves). A swollen tongue, dizziness (orthostatic hypotension), and even nail changes can also be early indicators.
Three key signs of Sjögren's syndrome are dry eyes, dry mouth, and chronic fatigue, stemming from the autoimmune system attacking moisture-producing glands, leading to gritty, burning eyes, difficulty swallowing or speaking, and persistent tiredness, often accompanied by joint pain and swollen glands.
PET/CT is useful in detecting and differentiating inflammation and malignancy in patients with systemic autoimmune disease. Frequent false-positive interpretations can be minimized by consideration of FDG uptake in bone marrow and spleen.
Some are well known, such as type 1 diabetes, multiple sclerosis, lupus, and rheumatoid arthritis, while others are rare and difficult to diagnose. With unusual autoimmune diseases, patients may suffer years before getting a proper diagnosis. Most of these diseases have no cure.
Common symptoms of autoimmune disease include:
Vasculitis. Vasculitis is an autoimmune disease in which the body's immune system attacks the blood vessels and causes inflammation. It can occur on its own or be caused by other autoimmune disorders, like lupus or rheumatoid arthritis. Severe forms of vasculitis can be life-threatening, according to Dr.
Early signs of scleroderma often involve Raynaud's phenomenon (fingers/toes turning white/blue/red in the cold), swollen/stiff fingers and hands, skin thickening and tightness (especially on hands/face), shiny skin, joint pain, and fatigue, with digestive issues like heartburn also common, notes Mayo Clinic, Johns Hopkins Medicine, and National Institutes of Health (NIH) | (.gov). These symptoms vary but often start in the fingers and hands, with localized forms causing skin patches and systemic types affecting organs.
What does an MCTD flare-up feel like? During an MCTD flare-up, you may feel severe joint and muscle pain. Your joints may inflame and swell, causing intense pain and stiffness. This is similar to what rheumatoid arthritis feels like.
Red flag for amyloidosis cardiac involvement. Heart failure symptoms especially due to right ventricle involment. Family history of heart failure in hereditary form. Fatigue.
AL Amyloidosis (light chain amyloidosis) is the most common type in the US and most often affects males between the ages of 50 and 80. It is caused by a bone marrow disorder and makes abnormal immune system proteins.
Amyloidosis and Misdiagnosis
The disease can be misdiagnosed for another illness like hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, a disease in which the heart muscle becomes thickened (hypertrophied), or hypertensive heart disease. The thickened heart muscle can make it harder for the heart to pump blood.
Lupus is a condition in which the body's immune system attacks its own tissues and organs. This is called an autoimmune condition. Lupus causes swelling and irritation, called inflammation, that may affect joints, skin, kidneys, blood cells, brain, heart and lungs.
Living with an autoimmune disease like lupus, rheumatoid arthritis and multiple sclerosis can be complex and serious. Although there are no cures for these diseases, many of their symptoms can be treated, and sometimes they go into remission.
Patients with systemic sclerosis (SSc) have worse health-related quality of life than patients with other systemic rheumatic diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), a Korean study found.
If you have several of these antibodies—or have them in high amounts—you may have an autoimmune disease. You may have had an antinuclear antibody test, or ANA. This test is often done first to look for antibodies that can cause autoimmune problems. A rheumatoid factor test is also done to look for rheumatoid arthritis.
Some of these “SLE mimickers” are very common, such as rosacea which can be mistaken for the butterfly rash, while others such as Kikuchi disease, type-1 interferonopathies, Castleman's disease, prolidase deficiency, angioimmunoblastic T-cell lymphoma, Evans' syndrome in the context of primary immune deficiencies and ...
Here are some specialists who treat autoimmune diseases: