Dermatology in Systemic Disease

Abstract

Keywords in this section refer to diseases in many different areas of internal medicine. These diseases include, among others, collagen vascular, endocrine, hematologic, gastrointestinal, and neoplastic diseases. The collagen vascular disorders include lupus erythematosus, scleroderma, and dermatomyositis. Polyarteritis nodosa has two main components: systemic and cutaneous, but has no keyword. The livedo pattern on the lower legs in cutaneous polyarteritis is very characteristic but may be seen in other disorders, including other collagen diseases. The dull red nodules on the lower legs seen in both cutaneous and systemic polyarteritis are similarly nondiagnostic.

Lupus erythematosus has two variants with keywords: systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) with butterfly rash and discoid lupus erythematosus (DLE) with follicular plugging. Other variants such as lupus tumidus, subacute cutaneous lupus, and lupus profundus, even though clinically recognizable, have no keywords. Lupus tumidus has red, edematous plaques generally distributed over the upper trunk and extremities; on occasion it resembles what formerly was described as “reticulate erythematosus mucinosis” syndrome. Otherwise, the plaques are relatively nondescript. A biopsy and laboratory findings help clarify the diagnosis.