[The lupus erythematosus (LE) phenomenon. Status in 1978]

The results of 835 studies of LE cells carried out over 8 years in 563 clinical cases of various nature are reported. The LE phenomenon--i.e. LE cells, LE globs and rosettes--was encountered exclusively in patients with LES, whereas tart-cells, nucleophagocytosis A and nucleophagocytosis B, although present in initial LES, and particularly in regressing LES, were very frequent in many other conditions. It is therefore held that true LE phenomenon is pathognomonic of LES since so-called AR with LE cells can be considered a clinical variant of LES, whereas lupoid hepatitis remains a vague, uncertain syndrome.