[HIV infection in a patient with chronic cutaneous lupus]

We present a case of chronic cutaneous lupus erythematosus (CCLE) in a patient who subsequently became infected with human immunodeficiency virus, HIV-1. The symptoms attributed to CCLE had persisted for years, and curiously had disappeared by the time the patient probably became infected with HIV-1. Even if there is lack of evidence to consider HIV-1 infection as direct causative agent in the clinical remission of CCLE, this response is in accordance with previous reports from other authors, regarding the attenuating role of HIV on the clinical course of the systemic lupus erythematosus. Even if the number of reported cases is very low it is of the upmost importance to establish whether this hypothesis is correct or not, since both diseases present great difficulties regarding diagnosis, due to the important overlapping between symptoms and serological tests.