Lupus Erythematosus

Abstract

The skin represents one of the major organs afflicted by lupus erythematosus (LE). LE was in fact first described as a skin disease in the mid and late 19th century (Talbot 1993) and denominated for the characteristic mutilations seen in subtypes of the disorder. Ever since in 1936 systemic manifestation without skin symptoms was appreciated as a disease entity the subject has differentially been dealt with in the dermatological and rheumatological literature. Malar rash and discoid lesions are listed among the criteria defined by the American College of Rheumatology (ACR) for diagnosis of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) (Tan et al. 1982). Characteristic and defined entities encompassing various forms of acute, subacute and chronic cutaneous LE can be opposed to less characteristic skin manifestations like rashes and symptoms of cutaneous vasculitis. Both groups of symptoms may however be present at any stage of disease development. 20% of all SLE cases present with initial skin manifestations and 50–70% of all SLE patients will eventually show skin symptoms during the course of their disease (Sontheimer and Provost 1996).