Lupus erythematosus tumidus in systemic lupus erythematosus: novel association and possible role of early treatment in prevention of discoid lupus erythematosus

A case of lupus erythematosus tumidus misdiagnosed as erysipelas

A patient presented with erythema and oedema on the right eyelid, malar region and left thigh with pruritus and pain. She was diagnosed with erysipelas and had been treated with anti-inflammatory drugs, but the symptoms did not improve. Laboratory investigation and biopsy showed that she was consistent with lupus erythematosus tumidus. It's a typical and rare diease relatively.

Systemic lupus erythematosus presenting as lupus erythematosus tumidus and lupus nephritis: a case report

BACKGROUND

Lupus nephritis and lupus erythematosus tumidus (LET) are uncommon manifestations of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), and their coexistence as the initial presentation of SLE is exceedingly rare. Here, we report such a case, emphasizing the diagnostic challenges and therapeutic implications of this unusual association.

CASE REPORT

A 38-year-old North African woman presented in Nephrology department with a history of lower extremity edema, fatigue, and weight loss of 3 kg in 4 weeks. Physical examination revealed LET lesions on the chest and the Neck. Laboratory investigations showed lymphopenia, low C3 and C4 complement levels, positive antinuclear antibodies, anti-dsDNA antibodies, and anti-SSA/Ro antibodies. Renal function tests showed normal serum creatinine and nephrotic proteinuria. Renal biopsy revealed Class V lupus nephritis. Skin biopsy confirmed the diagnosis of LET, with the presence of lymphohistiocytic infiltrates and dermal mucin. The patient was diagnosed with SLE based on the 2019 EULAR/ACR criteria and treated with prednisone (1 mg/kg/day) and hydroxychloroquine. She showed significant improvement in her cutaneous and renal symptoms at 6 and 12 months follow-up.

CONCLUSION

The rarity of the coexistence of LET and lupus nephritis as the initial manifestation of SLE, especially in the North African population, underscores the need for further research to elucidate the immunopathogenic mechanisms and prognostic factors associated with this association.

Lupus erythematosus tumidus: clinical perspectives

Lupus erythematosus tumidus (LET) is an uncommon and photosensitive inflammatory skin disorder which is characterised by erythematous urticarial plaques. In the last 20 years, extensive research on clinical and histological aspects of the disease have led to a better characterization of this nosological entity and to differentiate it from other similar or related diseases. Today, LET is considered as a separate subtype of cutaneous lupus erythematosus (CLE) with a benign, intermittent clinical course (intermittent CLE, ICLE) and only rarely associated with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE).

A case report of lupus erythematosus tumidus converted from discoid lupus erythematosus

RATIONALE

Lupus erythematosus tumidus (LET) is an uncommon type of cutaneous lupus erythematosus (CLE) that is rarely associated with other forms of lupus erythematosus.

PATIENT CONCERNS

We report a 62-year-old Chinese man presented with recurrent erythematous facial plaques for 1 year and a low-grade fever for 1 week. He had been diagnosed as discoid lupus erythematosus (DLE) 1 year before. Physical examination showed diverse lesions, including prominent swelling of the eyelids, a few erythematous, edematous plaques on the left forehead, face, and neck, and 2 hairless macules. The histopathologic findings reveal liquefaction degeneration of the basal cells, perivascular, and periadnexal infiltration of lymphocytes, and interstitial mucin deposition in the superficial, and deep dermis.

DIAGNOSES

A diagnosis of LET was made on clinical and histological features.

INTERVENTIONS

The patient started treatment with prednisolone (1 mg/kg. d), combined with hydroxychloroquine (200 mg twice daily), and topical tacrolimus.

OUTCOMES

The cutaneous lesions completely cleared after a period of 3 months. No adverse effects or clinical evidence of recurrence had been found during the 6-month follow-up period.

LESSONS

We report a case of LET converted from DLE with diverse lesions, unusual pathologic findings and slow response to the treatment of corticosteroids combined with hydroxychloroquine. We speculate that a continuous spectrum may include DLE, LET, and systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), these 3 entities could potentially, convert between each other.

An experience of using methylprednisolone aceponate in the therapy of lupus erythematosus tumidus

Lupus erythematosus tumidus is a rare skin form of lupus erythematosus. About 250 cases of lupus erythematosus tumidus have been described in the world by now. A specific clinical sign of this dermatosis is the appearance of annular or arcuate urticaria-like rash. As a rule, the appearance of the rash is preceded by ultraviolet irradiation. The administration of glucocorticosteroid drugs of local action belonging to classes of potent and very potent steroids is the first-line therapy for lupus erythematosus tumidus. The authors describe a case of the successful treatment of lupus erythematosus tumidus with methylprednisolone aceponate (Advantan ointment) in a female patient aged 56.

Overview of common, rare and atypical manifestations of cutaneous lupus erythematosus and histopathological correlates

The skin is the second most frequently affected organ system in lupus erythematosus. Although only very rarely life threatening--an example is lupus erythematosus-associated toxic epidermal necrolysis--skin disease contributes disproportionally to disease burden in terms of personal and psychosocial wellbeing, vocational disability, and hence in medical and social costs. Since several manifestations are closely associated with the presence and activity of systemic lupus erythematosus, prompt and accurate diagnosis of cutaneous lupus erythematosus is essential. This review aims to cover common, rare, and atypical manifestations of lupus erythematosus-associated skin disease with a detailed discussion of histopathological correlates. Cutaneous lupus erythematosus covers a wide morphological spectrum well beyond acute, subacute and chronic cutaneous lupus erythematosus, which are commonly classified as lupus-specific skin disease. Other uncommon or less well-known manifestations include lupus erythematosus tumidus, lupus profundus, chilblain lupus, mucosal lupus erythematosus, and bullous lupus erythematosus. Vascular manifestations include leukocytoclastic and urticarial vasculitis, livedoid vasculopathy and livedo reticularis/ racemosa. Finally, we discuss rare presentations such as lupus erythematosus-related erythema exsudativum multiforme (Rowell syndrome), Kikuchi-Fujimoto disease, extravascular necrotizing palisaded granulomatous dermatitis (Winkelmann granuloma), and neutrophilic urticarial dermatosis.

Periorbital mucinosis: a variant of cutaneous lupus erythematosus?

Lupus erythematosus has a wide spectrum of cutaneous manifestations, including periorbital mucinosis. We report 3 cases of periorbital mucinosis occurring in association with other cutaneous signs of lupus erythematosus. Based on a review of the literature, periorbital mucinosis is a rare and not widely recognized clinical manifestation of the disease. Although unusual, familiarity with periorbital mucinosis as a manifestation of lupus erythematosus broadens our understanding of these entities and expands the spectrum of cutaneous lupus erythematosus.

Lupus erythematosus tumidus: a series of 26 cases

OBJECTIVE

To study 26 cases of lupus erythematosus tumidus (LET), a subset of chronic cutaneous lupus erythematosus (CCLE), referred to in the literature as a rare entity.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

A retrospective study was conducted of 26 patients diagnosed with LET between 1996 and 2002. The clinical characteristics, histopathologic and laboratory findings, response to treatment, association with other subsets of lupus, course, and diagnostic criteria were analyzed.

RESULTS

The incidence by sex was similar. The mean age of presentation was 49.19 years. The clinical presentation usually involved erythematous, edematous plaques located on the face, chest, back, or extremities, related to sun exposure. A dermal lymphocytic infiltrate with a perivascular disposition and differing degrees of mucin deposition was observed in all cases. Minimal epidermal changes were present in 18 cases, and 11 of these also showed minimal dermal-epidermal changes. Only one case showed dermal-epidermal changes without any epidermal alteration. Direct immunofluorescence test was performed in 15 patients, and 11 were negative. All cases showed a benign course without systemic manifestations. The response to topical steroids or antimalarial treatment was excellent, but a seasonal recurrence was usually observed. Discussion No defined criteria for LET are universally accepted. The main controversies are the acceptance of LET as a separate subset of CCLE, and the histopathologic diagnostic features, mainly the presence or absence of epidermal and dermal-epidermal changes in these lesions.

CONCLUSIONS

No inflexible histologic criteria should be employed for the diagnosis of LET. This subset of lupus erythematosus is characterized by intense photosensitivity, definite clinical lesions, a benign course, the absence of systemic disease, good response to antimalarial treatment, and a tendency to recur. More studies should be performed in order to establish the true incidence of LET because this subset of CCLE is probably underestimated.

Kutaner Lupus erythematodes

Cutaneous lupus erythematosus (CLE) is a heterogenous disorder with a wide range of skin manifestations. Therefore, it has been difficult to develop a unifying concept for classifying CLE from the dermatologic perspective in the past. In 2004, the classification system was updated and includes now acute CLE (ACLE), subacute CLE (SCLE), chronic CLE (CCLE), and intermittent CLE (ICLE). Additional rarely described variants are not listed as separate entities but are included in the classical forms. Diagnosis of the different subtypes of CLE is made by considering genetic, clinical, histopathologic, and immunoserologic findings, with a systematic analysis of individual criteria. In the past years, the etiology and pathogenesis of CLE has been subject of intensive research and it has been shown by several groups that exogenous factors, such as ultraviolet light and drugs, can induce CLE. The first part of this review will enable the reader to identify the various clinical manifestations of CLE and to employ characteristic criteria to assess differential diagnostic considerations.

Tumid lupus erythematosus: an unusual scleredema-like presentation

A 43-year-old white man presented with an 8-month history of redness and swelling on the back of the neck. He also noted a decrease in range of motion of his upper body. There was no improvement with a 4-week course of topical corticosteroids. Review of systems was negative for polydipsia, polyuria, polyphagia, and bone pain. His medical history included depression, gastroesophageal reflux disease, and microdiscectomy. His medications included sertraline and omeprazole. Physical examination revealed a 20-cm erythematous, indurated plaque on the posterior part of the upper back and neck (Figure 1). A lack of skin wrinkling was noted with lateral pressure. Biopsy revealed a periadnexal and mild interface dermatitis with an increase in connective tissue mucin as demonstrated with colloidal iron (Figures 2A and 2B). Serum protein electrophoresis, hemoglobin A1C, and antinuclear antibody titer were within normal limits. A diagnosis of tumid lupus erythematosus mimicking scleredema was made. Hydroxychloroquine therapy was started at a dose of 200 mg and, at 2 months' follow-up, the patient's symptoms and appearance were improved.

Lupus erythematosus: uncommon presentations

Lupus erythematosus is the great imitator of other diseases. There is a broad range of cutaneous symptoms induced by lupus or by its various treatments. This article provides a short overview of uncommon presentations of cutaneous symptoms in the lupus spectrum.