A case of systemic lupus erythematosus exacerbated with erythema multiforme-like lesions

Abstract

The association of lupus erythematosus (LE) and erythema multiforme (EM) in the presence of anti-nuclear antibodies (ANA), Sjogren syndrome antigen B (autoantigen La) (anti-SS-B/La) and rheumatoid factor (RF) positivity has been described as a new syndrome by Rowell et al. in 1962. In 2012, Torchia et al. suggested novel diagnostic criteria for Rowell syndrome (RS). However, a number of cases, which lack the full diagnostic criteria, have been reported as RS in the literature. The EM-like lesions seen in these cases have been proposed as a subtype of subacute cutaneous LE. This article presents the case of a 34-year-old female patient with histopathologically diagnosed discoid LE, EM-like lesions, and speckled-pattern ANA positivity. Localizations of malar rash, discoid rash and EM-like lesions were not typical in the patient, and there was no triggering factor. Due to the lack of fully novel diagnostic criteria for RS, we conclude that our case is an instance of SLE exacerbated with EM-like lesions. (Turkderm 2015; 49: 85-8)