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Case Reports
. 2025 Mar 31;17(3):e81539.
doi: 10.7759/cureus.81539. eCollection 2025 Mar.

Oral Deucravacitinib for Treatment-Refractory Cutaneous Lupus Erythematosus

Ethan J Matthew  1 , Kritin K Verma  2 , Brent Paulger  3
Affiliations
Case Reports

Oral Deucravacitinib for Treatment-Refractory Cutaneous Lupus Erythematosus

Ethan J Matthew et al. Cureus. .

Abstract

This case report describes a 66-year-old female patient with a history of treatment-resistant chronic cutaneous lupus and discoid lupus (DL) for 25 years. The patient failed traditional antimalarial therapies for cutaneous lupus and other systemic and topical treatments, including azathioprine, mycophenolate mofetil, methotrexate, and dapsone. The patient was started on deucravacitinib at a daily dose of 6 mg and showed resolution of active lesions at five months, with post-inflammatory hypopigmentation at sites of previous lesions. The patient showed clinical resolution at eight months after starting deucravacitinib. Deucravacitinib is an allosteric inhibitor of TYK2, an enzyme within the JAK/STAT pathway, and may represent a novel therapy in the treatment of cutaneous lupus through the inhibition of type I interferon signal propagation. Further studies of deucravacitinib, including longitudinal evaluation, should be conducted to determine effectiveness within this patient population.

Keywords: cutaneous lupus; deucravacitinib; discoid lupus; subacute cutaneous lupus; tyk2.

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Conflict of interest statement

Human subjects: Consent for treatment and open access publication was obtained or waived by all participants in this study. Conflicts of interest: In compliance with the ICMJE uniform disclosure form, all authors declare the following: Payment/services info: All authors have declared that no financial support was received from any organization for the submitted work. Financial relationships: All authors have declared that they have no financial relationships at present or within the previous three years with any organizations that might have an interest in the submitted work. Other relationships: All authors have declared that there are no other relationships or activities that could appear to have influenced the submitted work.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1. Erythematous plaques on the upper back
Figure 2
Figure 2. Erythematous papules and plaques on the face, frontal scalp, forehead, and eyebrows with areas of alopecia
Figure 3
Figure 3. Resolution of lesions on the face and forehead at eight months of deucravacitinib therapy
Figure 4
Figure 4. Resolutions of lesions on the upper back with areas of post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation at eight months of deucravacitinib therapy.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

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