B cell depletion therapy using rituximab to induce long-term remission of recalcitrant skin lesions of subacute cutaneous lupus erythematosus.

A woman in her 20s presented with chilblains for 2 years and recent-onset photodistributed psoriasiform plaques. She did not have persistent good improvement despite treatment with 1 mg/kg oral prednisolone, along with successive trials with many steroid-sparing adjuvants in adequate dosage and duration, including hydroxychloroquine, methotrexate and cyclosporine, in the following 6 months. The patient had an excellent improvement and went into remission with two doses of injection rituximab, 1 g each, at a 2-week interval. The remission was maintained during the 14-month follow-up.