Toxic epidermal necrolysis-like subacute cutaneous lupus erythematosus associated with lung carcinoma

Specific vesiculobullous skin lesions in lupus erythematosus (LE) are rare and must be differentiated from toxic epidermal necrolysis (TEN), TEN-like dermatoses and other vesiculobullous conditions. We report a patient with typical subacute cutaneous lupus erythematous that progressed with large sheet-like areas of epidermal detachment and Nikolsky sign resembling TEN. She had a serological profile suggestive of underlying connective tissue disease, histological findings of interface dermatitis with a lymphocytic infiltrate, positive direct immunofluorescence, resolution with immunomodulation and lack of a culprit drug, features observed in TEN-like cutaneous lupus erythematous. Furthermore, she was diagnosed with lung carcinoma, an association that has been previously reported. Differentiating a bullous eruption in the context of pre-existing LE remains difficult requiring a thorough analysis of clinical and histopathological data.