Cutaneous lupus erythematosus

There are 3 main clinical variants of cutaneous lupus erythematosus (CLE), including:

• acute CLE—usually present in people with SLE; malar (‘butterfly’) rash is typical
• subacute CLE—usually a more limited disease, associated with SLE in around 30 to 50% of people
• chronic (discoid) CLE—usually a more limited disease, associated with SLE in around 5 to 10% of people.

For detailed information about CLE, see Cutaneous lupus erythematosus in the Dermatology guideline. This includes images for:

• subacute CLE
• chronic discoid CLE.

Nonscarring alopecia can be a feature of SLE and is usually self-limiting.