Prevalence of systemic lupus erythematosus in central Saudi Arabia.

OBJECTIVES Although systemic lupus erythematosus of varying severity has been seen in our clinics, there is no information regarding the prevalence of the disease among Saudi nationals. We conducted this study to determine the prevalence of systemic lupus erythematosus in Al-Qaseem region of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. METHODS A community survey of towns and villages in the Al-Qaseem area of central Saudi Arabia was conducted in 3 phases to determine the prevalence of systemic lupus erythematosus in the region. RESULTS Of the 10,372 studied, 2 cases of systemic lupus erythematosus were identified using the criteria set for the diagnosis of systemic lupus erythematosus by the American College of Rheumatology. Based on that, the prevalence of systemic lupus erythematosus was estimated to be 19.28 per 100,000 population in the region. CONCLUSIONS The estimated prevalence of systemic lupus erythematosus in Al-Qaseem area is similar to that found in western countries.