Skin Changes in Lupus Erythematosus: A Concise Review Lupus Erythematosus and Skin-demystifying the Features

Abstract

Lupus erythematosus is an autoimmune disease characterised by the formation of various autoantibodies, leading to the involvement of numerous organ systems like the nervous system, renal system, and cutaneous involvement. Cutaneous involvement is the second most common manifestation after musculoskeletal involvement and can range from minor involvement to severe disabling sequelae. The type of skin manifestation can sometimes predict the underlying systemic involvement, as most patients of acute lupus erythematosus have concomitant systemic involvement in contrast to limited chronic cutaneous LE, which has a low incidence of systemic involvement. The cutaneous manifestations have been included in the Systemic Lupus International Collaborating Clinics (SLICC) and American College of Rheumatology criteria for ease in diagnosing lupus erythematosus patients. Herein, we present a review of various cutaneous manifestations seen in association with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) patients and their specific management, which can ease the early diagnosis of the patients and triage the patients that will need close follow-up for systemic involvement.