HSP vs. Lupus: What’s the Difference?

 

Henoch-Schönlein Purpura (HSP) and Lupus (SLE) are both autoimmune conditions, meaning they involve the body’s immune system mistakenly attacking its own tissues. While they can share some symptoms, they are very different diseases in terms of causes, who they affect, how they present, and long-term outcomes.

Let’s break down the key differences.

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🧬 1. What They Are

• HSP (Henoch-Schönlein Purpura)
  A type of vasculitis (inflammation of small blood vessels), most often seen in children. It typically follows an infection and causes symptoms like rash, joint pain, and abdominal issues.

• Lupus (Systemic Lupus Erythematosus)
  A chronic autoimmune disease where the immune system attacks multiple organs and systems. It primarily affects women of childbearing age and has no known single cause.

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👶👩‍🦰 2. Who It Affects

• HSP:

  • Most common in children aged 3–15

  • Slightly more common in boys

  • Often triggered by infections

• Lupus:

  • Most common in women aged 15–45

  • More common in people of color

  • Not usually triggered by infections—it's more related to genetic and hormonal factors

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🩺 3. Symptoms

Symptom	HSP	Lupus
Rash	Purple spots (purpura) mainly on legs/buttocks	Butterfly-shaped rash on face, or other skin rashes
Joint pain	Common, especially in knees and ankles	Very common, often with swelling and stiffness
Abdominal pain	Common and can be severe	Less common
Kidney involvement	May cause blood/protein in urine	Can lead to serious kidney disease (lupus nephritis)
Fatigue & fever	Occasionally	Very common
Other organs (lungs, heart, brain)	Rarely affected	Often involved in moderate to severe cases

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🧪 4. Diagnosis

• HSP:

  • Based on clinical symptoms, especially the characteristic rash

  • Urine test to check kidney function

  • Sometimes skin or kidney biopsy

• Lupus:

  • Blood tests (ANA, anti-dsDNA)

  • Urine tests, imaging, physical exam

  • Often takes longer to diagnose due to wide variety of symptoms

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💊 5. Treatment & Prognosis

• HSP:

  • Often self-limiting; symptoms resolve in a few weeks

  • Supportive care: rest, pain relievers, sometimes steroids

  • Prognosis: Excellent in most children

• Lupus:

  • Chronic, requires lifelong management

  • Treated with anti-inflammatories, steroids, immune-suppressing drugs

  • Prognosis: Manageable, but varies—some may have serious complications

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✅ In Summary

Feature	HSP	Lupus
Type of condition	Vasculitis	Systemic autoimmune disease
Typical age group	Children	Young to middle-aged adults
Duration	Temporary (weeks to months)	Chronic (lifelong)
Cause	Often post-infection	Autoimmune, hormonal, genetic
Organs affected	Skin, joints, gut, kidneys	Skin, joints, kidneys, brain, heart, lungs
Prognosis	Very good	Varies, can be serious