The treatment and control of Lupus have improved over the last decade, mainly due to earlier diagnosis and increased understanding of the disease.  The disease, however, remains a threat to life if the kidney or the brain becomes an area of significant inflammation.  Patients with renal disease should be tested to identify and quantify the extent of the inflammation and damage in these areas.  A common procedure is renal biopsy.

The medical treatment of Lupus is designed to target the body systems that are inflamed.  If only joints and skin are involved,  the treatment could be limited to non-steroidal, anti-inflammatory drugs and chloroquine derivatives. 

However, if lungs, heart, kidney or brain are involved, corticosteroids would become the basis of treatment.  In addition, immunosuppressive medications, such as azathioprine and cyclophosphamide, would be prescribed either orally or intravenously.