Comparative Analysis of 126 Patients with Discoid Lupus: Clinical and Immunological Profile of Patients with Scalp Lesions

This study analyzed 126 patients with discoid lupus erythematosus (DLE) to determine if scalp lesions had distinct clinical and serological characteristics compared to lesions in other locations. It was found that scalp lesions were more common in females, with women being up to 4.3 times more likely to have them. There was a significant difference in the positivity of antinuclear antibodies (FAN), with those without scalp lesions showing higher positivity. Additionally, patients with localized DLE who did not have scalp lesions were more likely to be smokers and have positive FAN. Scalp lesions were also more associated with other autoimmune diseases. The study highlighted that more than 60% of DLE patients had scalp involvement, with 1/3 experiencing scarring alopecia.