Classification of Drug induced Lupus Erythematosus
Similar to idiopathic SLE, DILE can be classified into three major forms:
• Systemic DILE: patients present with arthralgia, myalgia, serositis, and constitutional symptoms after taking a drug for at least a month. Overall symptoms tend to be less severe than idiopathic SLE. Patients typically have a positive antinuclear antibody (ANA) but may only have one other clinical criterion for lupus. It affects both males and females equally.
• Drug-induced SCLE: predominant skin involvement similar to idiopathic SCLE. Usually with photosensitivity and can be associated with other cutaneous lesions (e.g., vasculitis and bullous lesions). It affects older females predominantly. It usually occurs 1 to 5 months after initiating therapy with the offending medication. Drug-induced SCLE should be suspected in anyone who develops SCLE after the age of 50 years.
• Chronic cutaneous DILE: discoid lupus skin lesions. This is a rare form of DILE and usually occurs in patients treated with fluorouracil compounds.
