The Involvement of Scalp and Nails in Cutaneous Lupus Erythematosus Patients: A Retrospective Study
July 2023
TLDR Many patients with cutaneous lupus erythematosus experience hair loss and nail problems, which are important for diagnosis and treatment.
In a retrospective study of 113 cutaneous lupus erythematosus (CLE) patients at Hanyang University Seoul Hospital, 69 (61.1%) experienced hair loss and 19 (16.8%) had fingernail involvement. Those with hair loss were more likely to have an earlier onset of the disease, systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), facial CLE lesions, and fingernail changes. Specifically, 85.5% of the patients with hair loss had discoid lupus erythematosus (DLE) alopecia. This subgroup also showed a higher incidence of CLE lesions on extremities and Raynaud phenomenon, as well as a significant difference in antinuclear antibody positivity. The study highlights the significance of scalp and nail symptoms in CLE patients for diagnosis and treatment.
