The effect of hormonal changes on cutaneous disease in lupus erythematosus

The behaviour of cutaneous disease in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and discoid lupus erythematosus (DLE), under the influence of various hormonal states, was studied in 68 patients. In 28 pregnancies, cutaneous disease was essentially unchanged. In a total of 57 patients whose lupus erythematosus (LE) had been diagnosed prior to the menopause, 20% described a premenstrual cutaneous exacerbation. Only three patients had taken an oestrogen-containing contraceptive. The duration of oral contraceptive treatment before the onset of lupus varied: 1 month in a patient presenting with the acute malar rash of SLE, 2 months in a patient who presented with annular weals and later developed systemic features, and 12 months in a patient who developed generalized DLE. Thirty-three patients were menopausal at the time of the study; 4% had noticed a perimenopausal cutaneous flare. There was no deterioration in the skin of the five patients on hormone replacement therapy.