Application of the 1982 revised criteria for the classification of systemic lupus erythematosus on a cohort of 346 Norwegian patients with connective tissue disease.

摘要

By reviewing patient's records, we evaluated the sensitivity and specificity of the 1982 revised classification criteria for systemic lupus erythematosus on a cohort of 346 Norwegian patients with connective tissue disease, seen at a rheumatology referral center in the period 1986-95. The patients with CTD other than SLE were used as controls. The number of the 1982 revised classification criteria for SLE fulfilled by each individual patient was calculated. Fifty-five of the 76 SLE patients (72%) met four or more criteria for SLE, giving a low sensitivity of 72%. Twenty-three of the 270 patients with CTD other than SLE (9%) met four or more criteria for SLE, giving an acceptable specificity of 91%. Applying the "revised/revised 1997 ACR criteria for SLE" the sensitivity would have increased to 78% and the specificity reduced to 89%. The sample of SLE patients was characterized by mild disease with a low proportion of severe internal manifestations.