title: The spectrum of cutaneous manifestations in lupus erythematosus--the Italian experience.
abstract: We have evaluated the incidence of lupus erythematosus (LE)-specific skin disease in 186 patients with LE, seen retrospectively over a 10-year period at our Dermatology Department and determined the correlation of LE-nonspecific skin disease in patients with systemic involvement. Chronic cutaneous LE (CCLE) with classical discoid lesions (localized, 70%; generalized, 30%) was the most common cutaneous manifestation (72.5%). Subacute cutaneous LE (SCLE) represented only 8% of LE skin disease (annular-polycyclic type, 73%; papulo-squamous type, 27%). Acute cutaneous LE (ACLE) was detected in 15% of our patients: the butterfly erythema was the most frequent skin lesion (96%) while only one case of bullous LE and one case of widespread maculo-papular eruption in association with malar erythema were demonstrated. In 8 patients no LE-specific skin lesions (lupus sine lupo) were found. LE-nonspecific skin lesions were found in 31% of our patients with systemic LE (SLE): Raynaud's phenomenon was found in 23/58 (39.6%), cutaneous small vessel leukocytoclastic vasculitis in 8/58 (13.7%), nonscarring alopecia in 18/58 (31%), lupus pernio in 6/58 (10.3%), hemorrhagic lesions in 4/58 (6.8%), livedo reticularis in 5/58 (8.6%), mucosal ulcers in 3/58 (5.1%) and periungual telangiectasia in 12/58 (20.6%) SLE patients. LE-nonspecific skin lesions are detected only in patients with SLE and usually in the active phases of the disease.
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology, University of Florence, Italy. Fabbri@cesit1.unifi.it
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Cardinali
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Caproni
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Bernacchi
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Amato
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Fabbri
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D007558:Italy; D008180:Lupus Erythematosus, Systemic / Q000276:immunology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D008875:Middle Aged; D012867:Skin / Q000503:physiopathology*; D012871:Skin Diseases / Q000276:immunology / Q000503:physiopathology*