Rare cutaneous manifestaions of lupus erythematosus. A clinical overview

• Published in: Hautarzt Vol. 51; no. 11; p. 818
• Main Authors: Kuhn, A, Schuppe, H C, Ruzicka, T, Lehmann, P
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: German
• Published: Germany 01.11.2000
• Subjects: Diagnosis, Differential; Humans; Lupus Erythematosus, Cutaneous - classification; Lupus Erythematosus, Cutaneous - diagnosis; Lupus Erythematosus, Systemic - classification; Lupus Erythematosus, Systemic - diagnosis
• ISSN: 0017-8470
• DOI: 10.1007/s001050051224

Lupus erythematosus (LE) is a disease with a wide spectrum of cutaneous and systemic manifestations and has been the subject of many studies over several decades. Clinical features of patients with LE show a great variation, and for this reason it is difficult to develop a unifying concept of this disease. Consequently, this has led to the identification of subsets which have been defined by constellations of clinical and photobiological features, histological changes as well as laboratory abnormalities. Besides the characteristic classical forms such as systemic LE (SLE), subacute cutaneous LE (SCLE), and discoid LE (DLE), there are uncommon variants of LE which often lead to diagnostic difficulties. Bullous LE (BLE) and urticarial vasculitis are listed as characteristic but non-specific manifestations of systemic LE. LE tumidus (LET), LE hypertrophic/verrucous (LEHV), chilblain LE, and LE profundus (LEP) are uncommon subtypes of chronic cutaneous LE. Annular erythema and papulonodular mucinosis are further uncommon cutaneous manifestations of LE. This clinical review summarizes the typical features of the uncommon forms of LE in order to improve clinical diagnostic precision and to achieve a better differentiation of the subtypes.