[Dermatologic manifestations in lupus erythematosus]

Various dermatologic manifestations are observed in the different lupus subsets. Lupus lesions are most frequently characterized by a dermoepidermal dermatitis. Other lesions, vascular or nonvascular, are essentially present in association with systemic lupus erythematosus. Acute, subacute and chronic lupus erythematosus are distinguishable according to their clinical aspects, pathological features and their evolution. Acute lesions are either localized to the midface or widespread. Subacute lesions may be annular or psoriasiform. Chronic lupus erythematosus includes localized or widespread discoid lupus, lupus tumidus, chilblain lupus and panniculitis. Therapy of cutaneous lupus is mainly based on antimalarials and avoidance of sun exposure. In refractory cutaneous lupus, no universal guidelines are available. Except for acrosyndromes and urticaria-like lesions, vascular lesions may be due to vasculitis or thrombosis. An accurate diagnosis is necessary, since therapeutic management is quite different in these two conditions. Nonvascular and nonlupus lesions are numerous and some of them require specific treatment, such as dapsone for bullous lupus.