What are the obvious symptoms of discoid lupus erythematosus

Many of you may not have even heard of discoid lupus erythematosus. The common symptoms of discoid lupus erythematosus include persistent discoid erythematosus patches on the skin, severe damage to the mucous membranes, and oral ulcers.

Clinical manifestations

At the beginning of the disease, the active lesions are erythematous, round, scaly papules, 5 to 10 mm in diameter, accompanied by follicular embolism. The lesions often occur on the raised areas of the cheeks, the bridge of the nose, the scalp and the external auditory canal and may persist or recur for several years. The lesions may spread to the upper trunk and extensor sides of the limbs. Photosensitivity is common and manifests as flaky lesions on the skin caused by light exposure. Mucosal involvement can be prominent, especially oral ulcers. Untreated DLE lesions gradually expand outward, and the central area of ​​the lesion shrinks. Remaining scars will not shrink. If you peel off the scales forcefully, you can see thorn-like protrusions on the scales, which are stuck in the dilated hair follicle openings, called "carpet pins". There is extensive hair loss on the head with permanent scarring.

Although the disease is usually limited to the skin, nearly 10% of patients eventually develop systemic manifestations to varying degrees, which are generally not serious and may only manifest as positive antinuclear antibodies. A decrease in the white blood cell count and mild, temporary systemic manifestations such as arthralgias. Only a small number of DLE patients develop chronic bursitis.

diagnosis

1. There are erythema, scaling, atrophy, erosion, fading or pigmentation on the lips, and the lesions extend to the skin.

2. The oral mucosa is erythematous, eroded, and atrophied, with short white lines arranged radially around it.

3. There are butterfly-shaped erythema, scales, keratin plugs, hypopigmentation or atrophy on the cheeks.