Lupus, short for lupus erythematosus, is an incurable chronic autoimmune disease capable of damaging any part of the body and manifesting with a wide range of symptoms affecting nearly any organ. The term “lupus” is Latin for “wolf” and was first used by a 13th-century physician to describe the disease’s facial lesions, which he believed resembled a wolf bite.
The Lupus Foundation of America estimates that about 1.5 million Americans and 5 million people globally have some type of lupus. Lupus most often affects women of childbearing age.
