Systemic lupus erythematosus physical examination
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Editor-In-Chief: C. Michael Gibson, M.S., M.D. [1]; Associate Editor(s)-in-Chief: Raviteja Guddeti, M.B.B.S. [2] Kiran Singh, M.D. [3]
Overview
Physical Examination
Appearance of the Patient
- This section should give a general description of what a patient with the disease you are describing may look like.
- If patients typically appear normal, you may write: Patients are usually well-appearing.
- You may include a physical description such as obese, thin, cachectic, ill appearing, diaphoretic etc. Mention in which cases these findings are present (e.g. well-appearing in early stages of cancer, cachectic in late stage cancer)
- For an example of the appearance of a patient section in the physical examination page, click here.
Vital Signs
Note: Vital signs traditionally include the temperature, blood pressure, heart rate, respiratory rate. The vital signs may also include oxygen saturation (at room air) and blood glycemia.
- High-grade / low-grade fever
- Hypothermia / hyperthermia may be present
- Tachycardia with regular pulse or (ir)regularly irregular pulse
- Bradycardia with regular pulse or (ir)regularly irregular pulse
- Tachypnea / bradypnea
- Kussmal respirations may be present in _____ (advanced disease state)
- Weak/bounding pulse / pulsus alternans / paradoxical pulse / asymmetric pulse
- High/low blood pressure with normal pulse pressure / wide pulse pressure / narrow pulse pressure
Skin
●Rheumatoid nodules
●Calcinosis cutis
Bullous eruptions (resulting from damage to the basal layer of the epidermis)
●Urticaria
●Cutis laxa/anetoderma
●Acanthosis nigricans
●Erythema multiforme
●Leg ulcers
●Palisaded neutrophilic and granulomatous dermatitis
Note: To describe a rash, always report additional details that include the color (e.g. erythematous), shape (e.g. flat / bullous), dermarcation (e.g. well-circumscribed / diffuse), location (e.g. truncal / on the face / on the extremities), enclosing fluid (e.g. vesicular / filled with pus, clear), and if possible smell (e.g. foul-smelling / odorless)
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Description (Adapted from Dermatology Atlas)
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Description (Adapted from Dermatology Atlas)
HEENT
- Sclerodactyly
- Abnormalities of the head/hair may include ___
- Evidence of trauma
- Icteric sclera
- Nystagmus
- Extra-ocular movements may be abnormal
- Pupils non-reactive to light / non-reactive to accomodation / non-reactive to neither light nor accomodation
- Ophthalmoscopic exam may be abnormal with findings of ___
- Hearing acuity may be reduced
- Weber test may be abnormal (Note: A positive Weber test is considered a normal finding / A negative Weber test is considered an abnormal finding. To avoid confusion, you may write "abnormal Weber test".)
- Rinne test may be positive (Note: A positive Rinne test is considered a normal finding / A negative Rinne test is considered an abnormal finding. To avoid confusion, you may write "abnormal Rinne test".)
- Exudate from the ear canal
- Tenderness upon palpation of the ear pinnae / tragus (anterior to ear canal)
- Inflamed nares / congested nares
- Purulent exudate from the nares
- Facial tenderness
- Erythematous throat with/without tonsillar swelling, exudates, and/or petechiae
Neck
- Jugular venous distension
- Carotid bruits may be auscultated unilaterally/bilaterally using the bell/diaphragm of the otoscope
- Lymphadenopathy (describe location, size, tenderness, mobility, and symmetry)
- Thyromegaly / thyroid nodules
- Hepatojugular reflux
Lungs
- Asymmetric chest expansion / Decreased chest expansion
- Lungs are hypo/hyperresonant
- Fine/coarse crackles upon auscultation of the lung bases/apices unilaterally/bilaterally
- Rhonchi
- Vesicular breath sounds / Distant breath sounds
- Expiratory/inspiratory wheezing with normal / delayed expiratory phase
- Wheezing may be present
- Egophony present/absent
- Bronchophony present/absent
- Normal/reduced tactile fremitus
Heart
- Chest tenderness upon palpation
- PMI within 2 cm of the sternum (PMI) / Displaced point of maximal impulse (PMI) suggestive of ____
- Heave / thrill
- Friction rub
- S1
- S2
- S3
- S4
- Gallops
- A high/low grade early/late systolic murmur / diastolic murmur best heard at the base/apex/(specific valve region) may be heard using the bell/diaphgram of the otoscope
Abdomen
- Abdominal distention
- Abdominal tenderness in the right/left upper/lower abdominal quadrant
- Rebound tenderness (positive Blumberg sign)
- A palpable abdominal mass in the right/left upper/lower abdominal quadrant
- Guarding may be present
- Hepatomegaly / splenomegaly / hepatosplenomegaly
- Additional findings, such as obturator test, psoas test, McBurney point test, Murphy test
Back
- Point tenderness over __ vertebrae (e.g. L3-L4)
- Sacral edema
- Costovertebral angle tenderness bilaterally/unilaterally (may also be referred to as Murphy's punch sign, which is different from Murphy's sign that suggests cholecystitis. To avoid confusion, write "costovertebral angle tenderness")
- Buffalo hump
Genitourinary
- A pelvic/adnexal mass may be palpated
- Inflamed mucosa
- Clear/(color), foul-smelling/odorless penile/vaginal discharge
Write additional pathognomonic findings, such as discharge that resembles cottage cheese for C. albicans vulvovaginitis / fish-odor for T. vaginalis ifnection
Extremities
- Clubbing
- Cyanosis
- Pitting/non-pitting edema of the upper/lower extremities
- Muscle atrophy
- Fasciculations in the upper/lower extremity
Neuromuscular
- Patient is usually oriented to persons, place, and time
- Altered mental status
- Glasgow coma scale is ___ / 15
- Clonus may be present
- Hyperreflexia / hyporeflexia / areflexia
- Positive (abnormal) Babinski / plantar reflex unilaterally/bilaterally
- Muscle rigidity
- Proximal/distal muscle weakness unilaterally/bilaterally
- ____ (finding) suggestive of cranial nerve ___ (roman numerical) deficit (e.g. Dilated pupils suggestive of CN III deficit)
- Unilateral/bilateral upper/lower extremity weakness
- Unilateral/bilateral sensory loss in the upper/lower extremity
- Positive straight leg raise test
- Abnormal gait (describe gait: e.g. ataxic (cerebellar) gait / steppage gait / waddling gait / choeiform gait / Parkinsonian gait / sensory gait)
- Positive/negative Trendelenburg sign
- Unilateral/bilateral tremor (describe tremor, e.g. at rest, pill-rolling)
- Normal finger-to-nose test / Dysmetria
Absent/present dysdiadochokinesia (palm tapping test)
Constitutional symptoms | Fatigue | the most common complaint 11085805
multidimensional phenomenon due to different factors 7779127 does not correlate with disease activity 9598886 |
frequently associated with depression, sleep disturbances, and concomitant fibromyalgia |
Fever | a manifestation of active disease-lupus flare, especially within short-term evolution of the disease 14530779
Can be hard to differentiate the cause of fever from other inflammatory and infection diseases Leukopenia or normal range of leukocytes in the setting of fever is more suggestive of lupus activity rather than infection |
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Myalgia
muscle tenderness muscle weakness |
may be first complaint and initial reason for the patient to seeks medical attention
May happen as a result of treatment with glucocorticoids or glucocorticoid withdrawal |
perivascular and perifascicular mononuclear cell infiltrates in 25 percent of patients
muscle atrophy, microtubular inclusions, mononuclear infiltrate, fiber necrosis, and, occasionally, vacuolated muscle fibers 2319520 | |
Weight change |
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Extremities | Arthritis |
12528115
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Skin and mucous membrane involvement | acute cutaneous lupus erythema (ACLE) (also known as “the butterfly rash”) |
presents as erythema in a malar distribution over the cheeks and nose (but sparing the nasolabial folds), which appears after sun exposure |
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discoid lesions | more inflammatory and which have a tendency to scar | ||
Photosensitivity | common theme for skin lesions associated with SLE | ||
oral and/or nasal ulcers | usually painless | ||
Nonscarring alopecia | may occur at some point during the course of their disease | ||
Subacute cutaneous lupus erythematosus (SCLE) | Annular SCLE
Papulosquamous SCLE Drug-induced SCLE Less common variants: erythrodermic, poikilodermatous, erythema multiforme-like (Rowell syndrome), and vesiculobullous annular SCLE |
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Chronic cutaneous lupus erythematosus (CCLE) | Discoid lupus erythematosus (DLE)
Localized DLE Generalized DLE Hypertrophic DLE Lupus erythematosus tumidus (LE tumidus) Lupus profundus (also known as lupus panniculitis) Chilblain lupus erythematosus (chilblain LE) Lichenoid cutaneous lupus erythematosus-lichen planus overlap syndrome (LE-LP overlap syndrome) |
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nephritis | Minimal mesangial lupus nephritis (class I) | the earliest and mildest form of glomerular involvement
normal urinalysis, no or minimal proteinuria, and a normal serum creatinine mesangial immune deposits that are identified by immunofluorescence alone or by both immunofluorescence and electron microscopy, but such patients do not have light microscopic abnormalities |
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Mesangial proliferative lupus nephritis (class II) | microscopic hematuria and/or proteinuria
Light microscope: mesangial hypercellularity (of any degree) or mesangial matrix expansion A few isolated subepithelial or subendothelial deposits may be seen on immunofluorescence or electron microscopy |
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Focal lupus nephritis (class III) | hematuria and proteinuria
may also have hypertension, a decreased glomerular filtration rate, and/or nephrotic syndrome Light microscopy: Active or inactive endocapillary or extracapillary segmental glomerulonephritis (Less than 50 percent of glomeruli are affected) Electron microscopy: immune deposits in the subendothelial space of the glomerular capillary and mesangium Glomeruli affected by fibrinoid necrosis and crescents Presence of tubulointerstitial or vascular abnormalities |
Class III (A)=focal proliferative lupus nephritis
class III disease with active lesions Class III (C)=focal sclerosing lupus nephritis chronic inactive lesions with scarring | |
Diffuse lupus nephritis (class IV) | most common and most severe form
Hematuria and proteinuria nephrotic syndrome, hypertension, and reduced glomerular filtration rate hypocomplementemia (especially C3) and elevated anti-DNA levels, especially during active disease 7231154 Light microscopy: more than 50 percent of glomeruli are affected that display endocapillary with or without extracapillary glomerulonephritis and Mesangial abnormalities Electron microscopy: subendothelial deposits, at least during the active phase and diffuse wire loop deposits, but with little or no glomerular proliferation |
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Vascular abnormalities | Periungual erythema | due to dilated tortuous loops of capillaries and a prominent subcapillary venous plexus along the base of the nail
can also happen along edges of the upper eyelid |
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Livedo reticularis | a reddish-cyanotic, reticular pattern on the skin of the arms, legs, and torso, particularly with cold exposure
induced by vasospasm of the dermal ascending arterioles Vasospasm in these cutaneous vessels Pathologic examination of involved blood vessels reveals thickening of the walls of the dermal vessels with subsequent narrowing of the lumens and, in some cases, intravascular thrombi |
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Raynaud phenomenon | vasospastic process
blanching of the nail beds, fingers, and toes (and occasionally ears, nose, tongue, and nipples) with accompanying pain |
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Vasculitis | urticarial vasculitis: lesions may remain for more than 24 hours and frequently evolve into painful petechiae or purpura that may heal with hyperpigmentation
small arteries involvement: microinfarcts of the tips of the fingers, the toes, the cuticles of the nail folds (splinter hemorrhages), and the extensor surface of the forearm and shin Periarteritis nodosa-like lesions may occur |
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Nail abnormalities | pitting, ridging, and onycholysis | ||
Mucosal manifestations | Oral involvement : white plaques, areas of erythema, or punched-out erosions or ulcers with surrounding erythema on the soft or hard palate or buccal mucosa
painless oral ulcers hyperkeratosis, atrophy of rete processes, and superficial and deep inflammatory infiltrates; edema in the lamina propria, continuous or patchy periodic acid-Schiff (PAS)-positive deposits in the basement membrane zone, deposition of intercellular mucin, and deposits of immunoglobulin and complement at the dermal-epidermal junction Nasal ulcers: lower nasal septum and tend to be bilateral and parallel Nasal perforation, possibly secondary to vasculitis rare but may happen |
Treatment: topical corticosteroids, tacrolimus 0.1% ointment, intralesional corticosteroids, and systemic antimalarial drugs | |
Bullous cutaneous lupus erythematosus | rare and distinct complication of SLE | ||
Skin
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Skin: Lupus, systemic erythematosus; Discoid skin lesion in patient with SLE. Image courtesy of Professor Peter Anderson DVM PhD and published with permission © PEIR, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Department of Pathology.[1]
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Skin: ulcer, necrotic; lupus anticoagulant in thigh. Image courtesy of Professor Peter Anderson DVM PhD and published with permission © PEIR, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Department of Pathology.[1]
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Skin: lupus, erythematosus, subacute; Papulosquamous diseases. Image courtesy of Professor Peter Anderson DVM PhD and published with permission © PEIR, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Department of Pathology.[1]
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Skin: lupus, erythematosus; Papulosquamous diseases. Image courtesy of Professor Peter Anderson DVM PhD and published with permission © PEIR, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Department of Pathology.[1]
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Skin: lupus, erythematosus; papulosquamous diseases. Image courtesy of Professor Peter Anderson DVM PhD and published with permission © PEIR, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Department of Pathology.[1]
Discoid Lupus Erythematosus
Head
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Discoid lupus erythematosus. Adapted from Dermatology Atlas.[1]
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Discoid lupus erythematosus. Adapted from Dermatology Atlas.[1]
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Discoid lupus erythematosus. Adapted from Dermatology Atlas.[1]
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Discoid lupus erythematosus. Adapted from Dermatology Atlas.[1]
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Discoid lupus erythematosus. Adapted from Dermatology Atlas.[1]
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Discoid lupus erythematosus. Adapted from Dermatology Atlas.[1]
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Discoid lupus erythematosus. Adapted from Dermatology Atlas.[1]
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Discoid lupus erythematosus. Adapted from Dermatology Atlas.[1]
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Discoid lupus erythematosus. Adapted from Dermatology Atlas.[1]
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Discoid lupus erythematosus. Adapted from Dermatology Atlas.[1]
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Discoid lupus erythematosus. Adapted from Dermatology Atlas.[1]
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Discoid lupus erythematosus. Adapted from Dermatology Atlas.[1]
Face
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Discoid lupus erythematosus. Adapted from Dermatology Atlas.[1]
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Discoid lupus erythematosus. Adapted from Dermatology Atlas.[1]
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Discoid lupus erythematosus. Adapted from Dermatology Atlas.[1]
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Discoid lupus erythematosus. Adapted from Dermatology Atlas.[1]
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Discoid lupus erythematosus. Adapted from Dermatology Atlas.[1]
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Discoid lupus erythematosus. Adapted from Dermatology Atlas.[1]
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Discoid lupus erythematosus. Adapted from Dermatology Atlas.[1]
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Discoid lupus erythematosus. Adapted from Dermatology Atlas.[1]
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Discoid lupus erythematosus. Adapted from Dermatology Atlas.[1]
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Discoid lupus erythematosus. Adapted from Dermatology Atlas.[1]
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Discoid lupus erythematosus. Adapted from Dermatology Atlas.[1]
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Discoid lupus erythematosus. Adapted from Dermatology Atlas.[1]
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Discoid lupus erythematosus. Adapted from Dermatology Atlas.[1]
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Discoid lupus erythematosus. Adapted from Dermatology Atlas.[1]
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Discoid lupus erythematosus. Adapted from Dermatology Atlas.[1]
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Discoid lupus erythematosus. Adapted from Dermatology Atlas.[1]
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Discoid lupus erythematosus. Adapted from Dermatology Atlas.[1]
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Discoid lupus erythematosus. Adapted from Dermatology Atlas.[1]
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Discoid lupus erythematosus. Adapted from Dermatology Atlas.[1]
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Discoid lupus erythematosus. Adapted from Dermatology Atlas.[1]
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Discoid lupus erythematosus. Adapted from Dermatology Atlas.[1]
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Discoid lupus erythematosus. Adapted from Dermatology Atlas.[1]
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Discoid lupus erythematosus. Adapted from Dermatology Atlas.[1]
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Discoid lupus erythematosus. Adapted from Dermatology Atlas.[1]
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Discoid lupus erythematosus. Adapted from Dermatology Atlas.[1]
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Discoid lupus erythematosus. Adapted from Dermatology Atlas.[1]
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Discoid lupus erythematosus. Adapted from Dermatology Atlas.[1]
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Discoid lupus erythematosus. Adapted from Dermatology Atlas.[1]
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Discoid lupus erythematosus. Adapted from Dermatology Atlas.[1]
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Discoid lupus erythematosus. Adapted from Dermatology Atlas.[1]
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Discoid lupus erythematosus. Adapted from Dermatology Atlas.[1]
Lupus Erythematosus-Systemic
Face
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Lupus erythematosus-systemic. Adapted from Dermatology Atlas.[1]
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Lupus erythematosus-systemic. Adapted from Dermatology Atlas.[1]
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Lupus erythematosus-systemic. Adapted from Dermatology Atlas.[1]
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Lupus erythematosus-systemic. Adapted from Dermatology Atlas.[1]
Extremity
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Lupus erythematosus-systemic. Adapted from Dermatology Atlas.[1]
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Lupus erythematosus-systemic. Adapted from Dermatology Atlas.[1]
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Lupus erythematosus-systemic. Adapted from Dermatology Atlas.[1]
Trunk
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Lupus erythematosus-systemic. Adapted from Dermatology Atlas.[1]
Lupus Erythematosus Chronicus Disseminatus Superficialis
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Lupus Erythematosus Chronicus Disseminatus Superficialis. Adapted from Dermatology Atlas.[1]
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Lupus Erythematosus Chronicus Disseminatus Superficialis. Adapted from Dermatology Atlas.[1]
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Lupus Erythematosus Chronicus Disseminatus Superficialis. Adapted from Dermatology Atlas.[1]
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Lupus Erythematosus Chronicus Disseminatus Superficialis. Adapted from Dermatology Atlas.[1]
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Lupus Erythematosus Chronicus Disseminatus Superficialis. Adapted from Dermatology Atlas.[1]
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Lupus Erythematosus Chronicus Disseminatus Superficialis. Adapted from Dermatology Atlas.[1]
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Lupus Erythematosus Chronicus Disseminatus Superficialis. Adapted from Dermatology Atlas.[1]
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Lupus Erythematosus Chronicus Disseminatus Superficialis. Adapted from Dermatology Atlas.[1]
Lupus Erythematosus Chronicus Verrucous
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Lupus Erythematosus Chronicus Verrucous. Adapted from Dermatology Atlas.[1]
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Lupus Erythematosus Chronicus Verrucous. Adapted from Dermatology Atlas.[1]
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Lupus Erythematosus Chronicus Verrucous. Adapted from Dermatology Atlas.[1]
Lupus Erythematosus Profundus
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Lupus Erythematosus Profundu. Adapted from Dermatology Atlas.[1]
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Lupus Erythematosus Profundu. Adapted from Dermatology Atlas.[1]
Lupus Erythematosus-Subacute Cutaneous Lupus Erythematosus
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Lupus Erythematosus-Subacute Cutaneous Lupus Erythematosus. Adapted from Dermatology Atlas.[1]
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Lupus Erythematosus-Subacute Cutaneous Lupus Erythematosus. Adapted from Dermatology Atlas.[1]
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Lupus Erythematosus-Subacute Cutaneous Lupus Erythematosus. Adapted from Dermatology Atlas.[1]
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Lupus Erythematosus-Subacute Cutaneous Lupus Erythematosus. Adapted from Dermatology Atlas.[1]
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Lupus Erythematosus-Subacute Cutaneous Lupus Erythematosus. Adapted from Dermatology Atlas.[1]
Lupus Vulgaris
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Lupus Vulgaris. Adapted from Dermatology Atlas.[1]
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Lupus Vulgaris. Adapted from Dermatology Atlas.[1]
References
- ↑ 1.00 1.01 1.02 1.03 1.04 1.05 1.06 1.07 1.08 1.09 1.10 1.11 1.12 1.13 1.14 1.15 1.16 1.17 1.18 1.19 1.20 1.21 1.22 1.23 1.24 1.25 1.26 1.27 1.28 1.29 1.30 1.31 1.32 1.33 1.34 1.35 1.36 1.37 1.38 1.39 1.40 1.41 1.42 1.43 1.44 1.45 1.46 1.47 1.48 1.49 1.50 1.51 1.52 1.53 1.54 1.55 1.56 1.57 1.58 1.59 1.60 1.61 1.62 1.63 1.64 1.65 1.66 1.67 1.68 1.69 1.70 1.71 1.72 1.73 1.74 1.75 1.76 1.77 "Dermatology Atlas".