Photosensitivity to fluorescent light in a patient with systemic lupus erythematosus.

A 50-year-old woman with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) developed a severe rash on her back and shoulders after exposure to fluorescent light while she was a hospital inpatient. Even small amounts of ultraviolet irradiation, such as that emitted by a domestic fluorescent tube, may be harmful to some patients with SLE.