A review of cutaneous lupus erythematosus: improving outcomes with a multidisciplinary approach

Abstract

Cutaneous lupus erythematosus encompasses a spectrum of cutaneous disease with different phenotypes, and it potentially intersects with many disciplines in medicine. This review examines the epidemiology, clinical subtypes, pathology, psychology and intervention options for this disorder. It is important to understand the psychological distress that cutaneous lupus can cause and if needed actively investigate this possibility with the patient. Careful liaison between disciplines will achieve the optimum outcome.

Keywords:

• epidemiology
• definitions
• subtypes
• pathology
• psychology
• treatment

Acknowledgments

The authors gratefully acknowledge DermNet NZ for granting the permission to use the clinical images in this study. This work was partially supported by the United States Department of Veterans Affairs (Veterans Health Administration, Office of Research and Development and Biomedical Laboratory Research and Development) and NIH (National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases) R01AR071653 to VPW.

Disclosure

The authors report no conflicts of interest in this work.