Papulonodular mucinosis with subacute cutaneous lupus erythematosus

A 30-year-old woman with subacute cutaneous lupus erythematosus presented with a facial eruption, painful and swollen ulcers of her digits, and asymptomatic lesions on her abdomen. The laboratory findings were consistent with subacute cutaneous lupus erythematosus with an anticardiolipin antibody. A biopsy specimen of the asymptomatic lesions on her abdomen showed mucin within the upper reticular dermis. Papulonodular mucinosis is a rare but well-documented finding associated with systemic and cutaneous forms of lupus erythematosus. The etiology and pathogenesis of this finding remain to be elucidated.