Contributors: Vivian Wong MD, PhD, Mehdi Rashighi MD, Belinda Tan MD, PhD, Craig N. Burkhart MD, Dean Morrell MD, Susan Burgin MD, Tyler Cepica, Cristina Thomas MD
Discoid lupus erythematosus (DLE) is a scarring, frequently photosensitive autoimmune disease. It has a characteristic clinical appearance consisting of red, scaly plaques with resulting pigmentary changes; the plaques are frequently found on the face and scalp.
In a large series, about 5% of patients with DLE had lesions starting in childhood. Cases have been reported in several ethnic groups, although there are less than 50 cases in the literature. A minority of patients have developed systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), but follow-up time has usually been limited.