Clinical course and prognosis of cutaneous lupus erythematosus

Clin Dermatol. 2004 Mar-Apr;22(2):121-4. doi: 10.1016/j.clindermatol.2003.12.018.

Abstract

Classical variants of specific cutaneous LE lesions are chronic discoid LE (CDLE) and subacute cutaneous LE (SCLE). CDLE and SCLE may appear at any age; however, the most common age of onset is between 20 and 40 years, with a female predominance of 3:1 in CDLE and 3-6:1 in SCLE. Nonspecific LE skin lesions such as generalized or acrolocalized vasculitis (4-30%), livedo reticularis (22-35%), and alopecia (38-78%) are frequently seen in patients with cutaneous LE. Other typical cutaneous LE subsets such as LE profundus/panniculitis, LE tumidus, urticaria vasculitis, hypertrophic LE, and bullous LE are rather rare variants. Butterfly rash and/or macular exanthema are characteristic skin lesions of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) rarely found in patients with cutaneous LE.

Publication types

  • Review

MeSH terms

  • Disease Progression
  • Humans
  • Lupus Erythematosus, Cutaneous / diagnosis*
  • Lupus Erythematosus, Cutaneous / pathology
  • Prognosis
  • Severity of Illness Index