Discoid Lupus

Discoid lupus erythematosus affects the skin only. It is characterized by red spots, like buds, which appear on both cheeks and bridge of the nose and look like a butterfly with open wings. Various of the most severe lesions change the pigmentation of the skin due to the scars that are left.

Discoid lupus or chronic cutaneous lupus has a deep skin infiltration with cellular infiltration in the basal layer. At the beginning, one lesion with erythematous soleventada hyperkeratosis, follicular plugging and loss of appendages (hairs), the lesion progresses to scarring and telangiectasia central depression and a peripheral ring moves outward.

Discoid lupus may occur without systemic manifestations of SLE (lupus erythematosus). Mucosal lesions are ulcers that occur as spontaneous blood nose or the eye in oral or vaginal mucosa.

Other cutaneous manifestations include diffuse alopecia which fluctuates with periods of activity of SLE, periungual erythema, angioedema and cutaneous vasculitis.

Discoid Lupus There is no known cause and occurs most often in areas exposed to sunlight or ultraviolet radiation.

The signs associated with this condition are:

  • There are usually no symptoms and lesions are characterized by single or multiple well plates localized dark red 5 to 20 mm in diameter, usually expensive and often in a "butterfly" on the nose and cheeks though it can affect the scalp, oral mucosa and outer ear.
  • It is atrophy, telangiectasia and follicular plugging. The lesions are usually covered by dry scales, horny, adherents.

When indicated must perform a complete medical studies to rule out systemic lupus erythematosus. The antinuclear antibody test is perhaps the most important to rule discoid lupus.

To diagnose discoid lupus is a test performed direct immunofluorescence microscopy and antibodies to find the basement membrane. Unaffected skin adjacent to the lesion tends to be negative to the test of direct inmunofluoscencia is positive in systemic lupus.