systemic lupus erythematosus: Meaning and Definition of

system'ic lu'pus erythemato'sus

Pronunciation: [key]
— Pathol. Pathol.
  1. an autoimmune inflammatory disease of the connective tissues, occurring mainly among middle-aged women, chiefly characterized by skin eruptions, joint pain, recurrent pleurisy, and kidney disease. Abbr.: SLE
Random House Unabridged Dictionary, Copyright © 1997, by Random House, Inc., on Infoplease.