Subacute cutaneous lupus erythematosus in childhood

Abstract

The cases of two young girls with subacute cutaneous lupus erythematosus (SCLE) are presented. Their diseases began in springtime with erythematous plaques on the face, which gradually spread to the forehead, neck, nose and ears. Direct immunofluorescence investigations and routine histology indicated SCLE. The patients displayed the characteristic autoantibody positivity. The detailed routine laboratory and clinical investigations did not reveal any systemic manifestation. The clinical picture, the histology and the autoantibody positivity led to the diagnosis of SCLE. On a regimen of local treatment and systemic chloroquine phosphate, the patients became symptom-free, but with regard to the possibility of systematization they must remain under close observation.