Because no two cases of lupus are alike, and symptoms tend to change over time, diagnosing the disease can be very difficult. The American College of Rheumatology has developed criteria to help doctors diagnose lupus. If you have four of the eleven criteria at any one time or individually over time, you probably have lupus. The doctor must also rule out other possible causes for the symptoms.

There is no one test that can diagnose a person with lupus. However, there are several common tests that can help determine if someone has lupus or not. One is a test for antinuclear autoantibodies (ANA; immune system proteins directed against the nucleus of your own cells). Most people with lupus test positive but there are other conditions that may also cause a positive ANA test. Other tests can detect more specific autoantibodies and these tests may be used to help diagnose lupus.