Cutaneous lupus erythematosus without systemic lupus erythematosus: clinical and laboratory features.
Sixty-seven patients with cutaneous lupus erythematosus (CLE) were followed up as part of a series of 570 lupus erythematosus patients seen in a private practice between 1980 and 1989. Clinical and laboratory features, treatment, and natural course were observed. Findings of interest included (1) a ratio of at least one CLE case for every seven cases of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE); (2) occurrence of CLE in fewer women and apparently associated with an older age at diagnosis than SLE; (3) similar frequency of cutaneous lupus subsets in CLE and SLE; (4) strong family history for SLE but not CLE in CLE patients; (5) other cutaneous and musculoskeletal features in a majority of CLE patients and constitutional symptoms in 10%; (6) positive ANA titers, high sedimentation rates, and leukopenia common in CLE; (7) anticardiolipin antibody in 31% of CLE patients but not associated with systemic complications; (8) antimalarials required by 75% of patients and systemic steroids by 33%; and (9) an excellent prognosis associated with CLE, organ-threatening disease being rare.
Wallace
D J
DJ
Department of Medicine, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center/UCLA School of Medicine.
Pistiner
M
M
Nessim
S
S
Metzger
A L
AL
Klinenberg
J R
JR
D000328:Adult; D000906:Antibodies / Q000032:analysis; D002308:Cardiolipins / Q000276:immunology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008178:Lupus Erythematosus, Cutaneous / Q000097:blood; D008180:Lupus Erythematosus, Systemic / Q000097:blood; D008297:Male; D011379:Prognosis
D000906:Antibodies; D002308:Cardiolipins