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Review
. 2014 Jan;5(1):7-13.
doi: 10.4103/2229-5178.126020.

Cutaneous lupus erythematosus: An update

Carina M Grönhagen  1 , Filippa Nyberg  2
Affiliations
Review

Cutaneous lupus erythematosus: An update

Carina M Grönhagen et al. Indian Dermatol Online J. 2014 Jan.

Abstract

Lupus erythematosus (LE) is a chronic, autoimmune, multisystem disease that displays many diverse symptoms in which localized cutaneous LE (CLE) is on one end of the spectrum and severe systemic LE (SLE) on the other end. The underlying cause of LE is unknown but the etiology is thought to be multifactorial and polygenic. CLE is a disfiguring, chronic skin disease, with a significant impact on the patients' everyday life. CLE are further divided into three main subsets: Acute CLE (ACLE), subacute CLE (SCLE) and chronic CLE (CCLE), where classic discoid LE (DLE) is the most common form. These subsets are defined by clinical symptoms, average duration of symptoms and histological and serological findings, although, the three subtypes can have overlapping clinical features. CLE patients display well-defined skin lesions, often in sun-exposed areas. The disease often has a chronic and relapsing course that can be induced or aggravated by UV light. It is important to confirm a CLE diagnosis histopathologically by a biopsy and in that there are several differential diagnoses and because CLE is a chronic disease in which regular follow-up is important and systemic treatment is sometimes indicated.

Keywords: Acute cutaneous lupus erythematosus; chronic cutaneous lupus erythematosus; cutaneous; cutaneous lupus erythematosus; discoid lupus erythematosus; erythematosus; lupus; subacute cutaneous lupus erythematosus.

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Conflict of interest statement

Conflict of Interest: None declared

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Schematic illustration of the CLE subsets and their relation to SLE. LEH-LE hypertrophicus, LET-LE tumidus, DLE-discoid LE, SCLE-subacute LE, LEP-LE profundus, NLE-neonatal LE, ACLE-acute cutaneous LE, SLE-systemic LE
Figure 2a
Figure 2a
Subacute cutaneous lupus erythematosus
Figure 2b
Figure 2b
Close-up image of the SCLE lesion seen in Figure 2
Figure 3
Figure 3
Close up view of a DLE lesion
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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