Facial Blaschko-Linear Cutaneous Lupus Erythematosus

What is it about?

We report on a 5-year-old girl with a pruritic, erythematous cutaneous eruption on the right side of the face for more than 1 year. The lesion had a linear distribution following the lines of Blaschko. Histopathological findings and direct immunofluorescence were compatible with cutaneous lupus erythematosus. We consider this unusual clinical presentation of childhood facial “Blaschko-linear cutaneous lupus erythematosus” to be a distinct subtype of lupus erythematosus. The clinical characteristics and a review of the literature are presented.

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Photo by Jakub Kriz on Unsplash

Photo by Jakub Kriz on Unsplash

Why is it important?

Blaschko-LCLE is a distinct subtype of lupus erythematosus, often occurring in children. Its typical clinical manifestation is Blaschko-linear distributed skin lesions with cutaneous manifestations of DLE or LEP. Photosensitivity and serological autoantibodies are often absent, with minimal possibility of progression to SLE. Blaschko-LCLE patients provide a promising model for studying underlying immunological and molecular mechanisms of cutaneous mosaicism.