Dermoscopic criteria of discoid lupus erythematosus: An observational cross-sectional study of 28 patients

Background: Discoid lupus erythematosus (DLE) affects mainly the head and neck and lesions heal with scaring. Early diagnosis of DLE is crucial; dermoscopy may enable early diagnosis and help to assess the prognosis of well-established lesions. Aims: To describe the dermoscopic features of DLE and to correlate them with the histological findings, site and duration of DLE. Material and Method: This study included 28 patients diagnosed as DLE based on clinical and histopathological examination. We examined the lesions clinically, dermoscopically and histopathologically. Evaluated dermoscopic variables were based on data in the available literature and on our observations. Results: Whitish scales (89.3%), arborizing blood vessels (85.7%), follicular plugging (82.1%), and pigmentation (82.1%) were the commonest dermoscopic findings. Radial arrangement of arborizing blood vessel in between a radially arranged perifollicular whitish halo (starburst pattern) (39.3%) was noticed for the first time in this study. Rosettes (57.1%) were also seen. There was significant agreement between many dermoscopic and pathological findings with high sensitivity and specificity of many dermoscopic variants in the diagnosis of DLE. Follicular plugging, perifollicular whitish halo, starburst pattern, follicular red dots and rosettes were detected in early stages of the disease but structureless whitish areas and telangiectasia need more time to develop. Limitations: We examined our patients at the time of presentation only without prospective monitoring and we had a relatively small sample size. Conclusion: Dermoscopy helps in the diagnosis of DLE at different body sites.