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Dermoscopy Aids in the Diagnosis of Discoid Lupus Erythematosus
Published on: May 16, 2025
Epidemiology of Cutaneous Lupus Erythematosus Among Adults Over Four Decades (1976-2018): A Lupus Midwest Network
Mehmet Hocaoğlu1, Mark Denis P Davis2, Shirley-Ann Osei-Onomah3
1Division of Rheumatology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN; Department of Medicine, University of Maryland Medical Center, Midtown Campus, Baltimore.
Objective:
To characterize the epidemiological trends and mortality of cutaneous lupus erythematosus (CLE) between 1976 and 2018 in Olmsted County, Minnesota.
Patients And Methods:
In this retrospective population-based cohort study, all incident and prevalent CLE cases among adult residents in Olmsted County, Minnesota, between January 1, 1976, and December 31, 2018, were identified and categorized by subtype through medical record review using the resources of the Rochester Epidemiology Project.
Results:
The overall incidence rate of CLE between 1976 and 2018 was 3.9 (95% CI, 3.4 to 4.5) per 100,000. The incidence of CLE was relatively stable, with no major trend across sexes or age groups. The age- and sex-adjusted prevalence of CLE was 108.9 per 100,000 on January 1, 2015. Mortality in CLE patients was similar to that of the general population, with a standardized mortality ratio of 1.23 (95% CI, 0.88 to 1.66) with no observed trends in mortality over time.
Conclusion:
In the past 4 decades, the incidence of CLE remained stable. Patients with CLE have mortality comparable to that of the general population.
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