Recent years have seen promising developments in both our appreciation of the spectrum of autoimmune phenomena associated with DIL as well as our understanding of the pathogenesis of this disease. From our present knowledge, it seems likely that the cause of DIL is multifactorial, and that the disease manifestations depend on both the drugs involved as well as predisposing host factors. The present availability of an animal model of DIL promises to further our understanding of the role of drugs and other environmental factors in this disorder. It is hoped that further studies will provide additional understanding of the pathogenesis of these lupus-like diseases and possibly bring us one step closer to providing more rational and effective treatments for patients with idiopathic lupus.