[ XXXX in Tunisia. A multicentric study. About 295 cases].

@entity1 @entity627 @entity1910 @entity882 @entity2905 @entity1252 @entity5714 @entity230 @entity631 @entity792 @entity204 @entity288
PURPOSE: @entity1252 ( @entity1252 ) is an @entity792 with a great clinical polymorphism. Wide variety of genetic, hormonal, immunological and environmental contributes to release the disease. Our objective was to describe and precise the epidemiological, clinical and immunological profile of this disease in Tunisia. METHOD: It is a retrospective study conducted by the Tunisian society of internal medicine during the period from January 1990 to December 1999. All @entity1 fulfilled at least four of the revised American @entity627 Association's criteria for @entity1252 . RESULTS: Two hundred and ninety-five @entity1252 have been examined (271 @entity1 , 24 @entity1 ). The most frequent clinical manifestations were: articular 90%, @entity1910 62%, photosensitivity 46%, seritis 32% and @entity631 56%, dominated by WHO class III and IV: 60 cases (renal biopsy was performed in 95 @entity1 ). Neurological features were observed in 14.5%. The abnormal laboratory findings were leucocytopenia 45%, @entity2905 47%, @entity882 16% and @entity5714 in 6.7%. Antinuclear antibodies, anti-ds DNA and anti-Sm were at 92%, 74% and 57%, respectively. Eighty-three percent of @entity1 were treated by @entity230 , and in 52 cases (18%), we added immunosuppressive drugs. Two hundred and eighteen @entity1 were followed up with a mean follow-up duration of 51 months. Twenty-eight percent were in complete remission and in 60%, the @entity1252 was active. In contrast, @entity204 occurred in 29 cases. CONCLUSION: Our study confirmed the clinical polymorphism of @entity1252 , the great similarity with other studies apart the world, the gravity of renal and cardiac features and the infectious complications induced by @entity288 .
