American College of Rheumatology Classification Criteria for Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE)

There are a total of 11 criteria, 4 of which if documented at any time during the patient's history make the diagnosis of SLE very likely (specificity = 95% and sensitivity = 75%). I like to remember them as 

4 skin related criteria, 

4 systemic criteria and

3 lab criteria.

Skin related criteria:

1) Malar rash: Fixed erythema, flat or raised, over the malar regions

2) Discoid rash: Erythematous circular raised patches with adherent keratotic scaling and follicular plugging; with or without atrophic scarring

3) Photosensitivity: Exposure to ultraviolet light (sun) causes rash

4) Oral ulcers: Includes oral and nasopharyngeal ulcers, observed by physician

Systemic criteria:

5) Arthritis: Nonerosive arthritis of two or more peripheral joints, with tenderness, swelling, or effusion

6) Serositis: Pleuritis or pericarditis documented by EKG changes, pericardial rub or evidence of effusion

7) Renal disorder: Proteinuria >0.5 g/d or 3+, or cellular casts

8) Neurologic disorder: Seizures or psychosis without known etiology

Lab Criteria:

9) Hematologic disorder: Hemolytic anemia or leukopenia (<4000/L) or lymphopenia (<1500/L) or thrombocytopenia (<100,000/L) in the absence of offending drugs

10) Immunologic disorder: Anti-dsDNA, anti-Sm, and/or anti-phospholipid

11) Antinuclear antibodies: An abnormal titer of ANA by immunofluorescence or an equivalent assay at any point in time in the absence of drugs known to induce ANAs