Preliminary, dermatologic first step criteria for lupus erythematosus and second step criteria for systemic lupus erythematosus.

BACKGROUND

Comparisons of cases of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) with cases of rheumatoid arthritis and other rheumatologic disorders affords the basis of the 1982 revised criteria of the American Rheumatism Association (ARA) for classifying SLE cases. We address three questions: Do comparisons of LE cases with non-LE cases that have suggestive skin lesions yield criteria for use in dermatology clinics for primary classification of cases with photo distributions of skin lesions? Do comparisons of SLE with cutaneous LE cases yield the same or similar criteria to the revised ARA criteria for SLE? How should subacute cutaneous LE cases be evaluated for signs of significant systemic involvement?

METHODS

Discriminant analyses on 168 cases with skin lesions suggestive of LE were performed using data based on the ARA criteria for SLE and study factors for cutaneous LE suggested by the European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology.

RESULTS

These yielded two sets of criteria: (1) The 11 preliminary, dermatologic first step criteria (10 plus 1 for discoid lesions and histology) serve to classify cases as LE or non-LE. (2) The 11 preliminary, dermatologic second step criteria classify LE cases as cutaneous LE or systemic LE. Interestingly, 5 of 11 of these second step criteria differ from the 11 ARA criteria for systemic LE. These second step criteria afford a useful means of distinguishing between subacute cutaneous LE cases with or without significant systemic involvement.

CONCLUSIONS

The study factors included in both the first and the second step criteria fall into three groups, notably clinical criteria, laboratory criteria, and "added study factors." The latter factors distinguish between the groups compared (LE vs. non-LE and cutaneous vs. systemic LE) but not as well as the study factors included as "criteria."