Skin lupus, or cutaneous lupus erythematosus (CLE), is an autoimmune condition where the immune system attacks skin cells, causing rashes, sores, or lesions, often triggered by sunlight. It can appear alone or with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) affecting other organs, and has main types like the "butterfly rash" (acute), ring-shaped sores (subacute), and thick, scaly patches (chronic/discoid lupus) that can cause scarring or hair loss.
Rashes might appear purple or brown on darker skin tones. A red rash that spreads across your cheeks and the bridge of your nose, in the shape of a butterfly (malar rash). Rashes might appear purple or brown on darker skin tones. Patches of lighter and darker pigment on your skin.
What are the symptoms of lupus?
Acute Cutaneous Lupus Erythematosus (ACLE)
The lesions characteristic of ACLE usually occur in areas exposed to the sun and can be triggered by sun exposure. Therefore, it is very important that people with ACLE wear sunscreen and protective clothing when going outdoors.
Like systemic lupus, cutaneous lupus is caused by an autoimmune response, meaning the body attacks its own tissues and organs. In cutaneous lupus, the immune system targets skin cells, causing inflammation that leads to red, thick, and often scaly rashes and sores that may burn or itch.
This can cause redness, itching, pain and eventual scarring of the skin. Lupus of the skin can occur by itself or manifest as a part of systemic lupus erythematosus — the most serious type of lupus that affects your entire body like your joints, kidneys, heart, lungs, blood vessels, and brain.
Common Lupus Symptoms
Discoid lupus erythematosus (DLE), or chronic cutaneous lupus, is the most common form of cutaneous lupus. A discoid lupus rash typically appears on your face and scalp, but it can also affect any part of your body.
Life Expectancy with Lupus
Many patients can expect to live a normal or near-normal lifespan, especially with early diagnosis and effective treatment (Zen et al., 2023; Lao et al., 2024). Long-Term Survival: Studies have shown that the long-term survival rate for lupus patients has improved over the years.
Gender: Even though anyone can get lupus, it most often affects women. They're nine to ten times more likely than men to develop it. Age: Lupus can occur at any age, but most are diagnosed in their 20s and 30s. Race: Lupus is two to three times more common in African-American women than in Caucasian women.
Lupus causes swelling and irritation, called inflammation, that may affect joints, skin, kidneys, blood cells, brain, heart and lungs. Lupus can be hard to diagnose because its symptoms often are like those of other illnesses. A common sign of lupus is a facial rash that looks like butterfly wings across both cheeks.
Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE or "lupus"), as described in medical papers, on the internet, and in public media, generally refers to the disease as seen at its peak onset ages: That is, lupus most often appears when a person is between 15 and 35 years of age – typically with symptoms of arthritis, rash, hair loss, ...
It's not uncommon to mistake lupus symptoms for symptoms of various viral and bacterial infections. Lyme disease is a bacterial infection that has many lupus-like symptoms, including fatigue, headaches, joint pain, fever, and skin rashes.
Early lupus warning signs often mimic other illnesses, but key indicators include extreme fatigue, fever, joint pain/swelling, skin rashes (especially a butterfly-shaped rash on the face), hair loss, and sensitivity to sunlight, alongside potential issues like headaches, mouth sores, and fingers/toes turning white or blue in the cold (Raynaud's). These symptoms can appear suddenly or slowly and come and go in flares.
Lupus and Sjogren's syndrome are both autoimmune diseases. Up to 5.5 million people in the U.S. have been diagnosed with lupus or Sjogren's syndrome. However, Sjogren's syndrome occurs up to three times more than lupus, but one-third of lupus patients also have Sjogren's syndrome.
For thin areas of skin (e.g. face), a low potency steroid, such as fluocinolone acetonide 0.01% or hydrocortisone butyrate 1%, is a good option. For the trunk and extremities, a mid potency steroid, such as triamcinolone acetonide or betamethasone valerate, is appropriate.
Common Triggers of Lupus Flares
What types of medicines treat lupus?
Lupus can attack many different parts of the body. Some call it the cruel mystery. Lupus is an autoimmune disease that can strike any part of the body, but the wide range of symptoms can be easily mistaken for something else.
Subacute cutaneous lupus is a rash with red, ring-shaped sores or scaly patches with distinct edges. The rash commonly occurs on the back, chest, and arms but sometimes extends to the buttocks. It does not affect the face or scalp very often.
Lupus can also cause other problems in the abdomen, including peritonitis (inflammation of the abdominal lining) and ascites (a build-up of fluids in the abdomen). Symptoms of peritonitis and ascites include: Abdominal pain and swelling. Nausea and vomiting.
To diagnose cutaneous lupus, an NYU Langone dermatologist examines your skin and may remove a small skin sample in a procedure called a biopsy. If your symptoms suggest systemic lupus, your dermatologist may recommend a blood test to confirm or rule out the diagnosis.
joint and muscle pain. extreme tiredness that will not go away no matter how much you rest. rashes that usually come on after being in the sun – the rash is often over the nose and cheeks.
Many people with lupus have trouble sleeping. If you are waking up a lot at night or having trouble falling asleep, this can lead to more tiredness and fatigue throughout the day.
The ACR criteria include malar rash; discoid rash; photosensitivity (development of a rash after sun exposure); oral or nasal ulcers; arthritis of multiple joints; serositis: (inflammation of the lining around the lungs or heart); kidney disease indicated by protein or casts in the urine; neurological disorders such as ...