Illuminating the Relation Between Polymorphous Light Eruption and Lupus

Contrary to expectations, no patients with PMLE progressed to cutaneous lupus during a relatively long follow-up period.

Photosensitivity is a common feature of both polymorphous light eruption (PMLE) and cutaneous lupus. An ongoing concern to dermatologists is that some PMLE patients might eventually develop cutaneous lupus. Dermatologists in Vienna examined the validity of this concern in 472 patients with moderate-to-severe PMLE requiring phototherapy.

The investigators identified 55 patients (11.7%) who had an antinuclear antibody (ANA) ≥1:80 on at least one occasion, 3 of whom also had SS-A/Ro antibodies (0.6%). Thirty-nine ANA-positive patients were reexamined after a mean of 8 years; ANA titers had returned to normal in 14 but remained elevated in the other 25 (median, 1:160; range, 1:80–1:640). However, no patients developed clinical, histopathologic, …

Reviewing Author

Craig A. Elmets, MD

Disclosures

Consultant / Advisory board Astellas Pharmaceuticals

EquityVaxin

Grant / Research support NIH; NIH/NCI; Veteran’s Administration; Ferndale Laboratories; Kyowa Hakko Kirin Pharma, Inc.

Editorial boards Cancer Prevention Research; Photodermatology, Photoimmunology, & Photomedicine; UpToDate; eMedicine; Journal of Dermatological Sciences; JAMA Dermatology

Leadership positions in professional societies American Academy of Dermatology (Vice Chair, Committee on Science and Research); Photomedicine Society (Board of Directors)