A Case Report of a Rare Subacute Cutaneous Lupus Erythematosus with Chin Prostration

Wanni Li,1,2,* Wen Luo,1,* Yujia Liang,1,2 Ping Wang,1,2 Chunxia Wang,1,2 Jiejie Lu,1,2 Weiwei Wu1,2 1Department of Dermatology, Affiliated Dermatology Hospital of Hainan Medical University, Haikou, People’s Republic of China; 2Department of Dermatology, The Fifth People’s Hospital of Hainan Province, Haikou, People’s Republic of China*These authors contributed equally to this workCorrespondence: Weiwei Wu, Department of Dermatology, The Fifth People’s Hospital of Hainan Province, No. 8 Longhua Road, Longhua District, Haikou, Hainan, People’s Republic of China, Tel +86 13647541729, Email [email protected] Jiejie Lu, Department of Dermatology, The Fifth People’s Hospital of Hainan Province, No. 8 Longhua Road, Longhua District, Haikou, Hainan, People’s Republic of China, Tel +86 13519816255, Email [email protected]: Subacute cutaneous lupus erythematosus (SCLE) is a clinical subtype of cutaneous lupus erythematosus (CLE), an autoimmune connective tissue disease characterized by photosensitive rashes. This report presents a rare case of SCLE involving the chin. The patient presented with an annular, erythematous, scaling plaque on the left chin, which had been repeatedly misdiagnosed. Through integrated analysis of dermoscopic features, reflectance confocal microscopy (RCM) findings, and skin biopsy, a definitive diagnosis was established. Combination therapy with systemic corticosteroids and immunomodulators was initiated. Significant lesion regression was observed at the 19-week follow-up. The combined application of dermoscopy and RCM optimizes clinical management by reducing diagnostic errors and enabling real-time treatment monitoring.Keywords: subacute cutaneous lupus erythematosus, dermoscopy, reflective confocal microscopy, pathological biopsy