Lupus is a very difficult disease to diagnose. Physicians use a list of 11 criteria to assist in the diagnosis. The criteria consist of symptoms and lab tests, which tend to be specific to SLE. The list of 11 criteria is not to be confused with lists of common symptoms of systemic lupus, such as: fatigue, fever, weight loss, hair loss, nausea, Raynaud's phenomenon. These symptoms, could be due to numerous illnesses or conditions, and, therefore, are too vague to be included as diagnostic criteria.

If a person has many of the symptoms of systemic lupus, the physician may suspect lupus is developing, and evaluate the patient to see if any criteria are met. If fewer than 4 criteria are satisfied, there is insufficient evidence to diagnose systemic lupus. A rheumatologist or a clinical immunologist may be consulted if you are looking for a specialist who has the expertise to diagnose and treat lupus.