Patients' perceptions of the effects of systemic lupus erythematosus on health, function, income, and interpersonal relationships: a comparison with Wegener's granulomatosis.

OBJECTIVE

To describe the patients' perceptions of the effects of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and Wegener's granulomatosis (WG) on health, function, income, and interpersonal relationships.

METHODS

114 patients with SLE, and 79 patients with WG completed a self-administered questionnaire. Patients had been diagnosed with SLE or WG for a median period of 10 and 5 years, respectively.

RESULTS

All patients experienced substantial functional morbidity. Two-thirds of the patients with SLE or WG reported either a periodic or permanent inability to perform daily activities at home and/or at work. Furthermore, SLE as well as WG had a considerable impact upon the psychological and social life, affecting their happiness and altering relationships.

CONCLUSION

Our study demonstrates that SLE and WG are associated with substantial medical morbidity resulting in physical and occupational disability. SLE has a profound impact on patients' lives, similar to that experienced in patients with WG.