Partial lipodystrophy in a patient with systemic lupus erythematosus

Abstract

A 54-year-old woman developed partial lipodystrophy on the left side of her face. She had been suffering from systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) since 1985 when she was 45 years old, and she had been treated with 30 mg/day of oral prednisolone as an initial dose. Partial lipodystrophy appeared on her left lower jaw in 1994 when the SLE was inactive, and the dose of prednisolone was reduced to 5 mg/ 3 days. Gradually, the lipodystrophy spread toward her left cheek and her left forehead without any preceding skin symptoms. Histological examination showed a loss of fat tissue and mild lymphocytic infiltrations mainly around cutaneous appendages and vessels in the dermis and subcutaneous tissue. The dose of prednisolone was increased to 10 mg/day and the lesions stopped spreading. Such partial lipodystrophy is distinct from lipoatrophy of lupus profundus.