title: Incidence of chronic cutaneous lupus erythematosus in French Guiana: a retrospective population-based study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To retrospectively study the incidence of chronic cutaneous lupus erythematosus (CCLE) in French Guiana (FG), South America, during the period 1995-1999.
  
  
  METHODS
  Private and public physicians specializing in dermatology, rheumatology, and internal medicine were asked during the year 2000 about lupus cases. We reviewed hospitals' files in data-processing departments.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Twenty new cases of CCLE, mostly discoid form, were identified during this 5-year period in this population of predominantly African descent. The average annual incidence of the disease was 2.59 per 100,000 inhabitants (95% confidence interval 1.5-4). However, our methodology could introduce underestimation of the incidence of the disease.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The average annual incidence of CCLE in FG appears to be low in this retrospective study, but is very similar to the only previously published data in the US.
authors.affiliation: Centre Régional de Compétences Maladies Autoimmunes Rares, Centre Hospitalier la Meynard, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Fort de France, BP, Fort de France Cedex, France. christophe.deligny@chu-fortdefrance.fr
authors.forename: Christophe
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Deligny
authors.forename: Emmanuel
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Clyti
authors.forename: Dominique
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Sainte-Marie
authors.forename: Pierre
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Couppie
authors.forename: Du Lê Thi
authors.initials: du LT
authors.lastname: Huong
authors.forename: Jean Charles
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Piette
authors.forename: Serge
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Arfi
authors.forename: Roger
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Pradinaud
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D044383:Black People / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D005616:French Guiana / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D008179:Lupus Erythematosus, Discoid / Q000453:epidemiology*; D008297:Male; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D055815:Young Adult