Redefining cutaneous lupus erythematosus: a proposed international consensus approach and results of a preliminary questionnaire

J F Merola; F Nyberg; F Furukawa; M J Goodfield; M Hasegawa; B Marinovic; J Szepietowski; J Dutz; V P Werth

doi:10.1136/lupus-2015-000085

Redefining cutaneous lupus erythematosus: a proposed international consensus approach and results of a preliminary questionnaire

Lupus Sci Med. 2015 Mar 26;2(1):e000085. doi: 10.1136/lupus-2015-000085. eCollection 2015.

Authors

J F Merola¹, F Nyberg², F Furukawa³, M J Goodfield⁴, M Hasegawa⁵, B Marinovic⁶, J Szepietowski⁷, J Dutz⁸, V P Werth⁹

Affiliations

¹ Division of Rheumatology, Departments of Dermatology and Medicine , Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School , Boston, Massachusetts , USA.
² Institution for Clinical Sciences, Karolinska Institutet at Danderyd Hospital , Stockholm , Sweden.
³ Department of Dermatology , Wakayama Medical University , Wakayama , Japan.
⁴ Department of Dermatology , Leeds General Infirmary , Leeds , UK.
⁵ Department of Dermatology, Faculty of Medical Sciences , School of Medicine, University of Fukui , Fukui , Japan.
⁶ University Department of Dermatology and Venereology , Zagreb University Hospital Center and School of Medicine , Zagreb , Croatia.
⁷ Department of Dermatology, Venereology and Allergology , University of Medicine , Wrocław , Poland.
⁸ Department of Dermatology and Skin Science , University of British Columbia , Vancouver, British Columbia , Canada.
⁹ Philadelphia Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center , University of Pennsylvania , Philadelphia, Pennsylvania , USA ; Department of Dermatology , University of Pennsylvania , Philadelphia, Pennsylvania , USA.

Abstract

There is currently no uniform definition of cutaneous lupus erythematosus (CLE) upon which to base a study population for observational and interventional trials. A preliminary questionnaire was derived from and sent to a panel of CLE experts which demonstrated consensus agreement that (1) there is a need for new definitions for CLE (2) CLE is distinct from systemic lupus erythematosus and that a CLE grouping scheme should remain apart from current systemic lupus erythematosus schema (3) current CLE grouping schemes are inadequate around communication, prognostic information and to meet the needs of researchers, clinicians, patients and payers.

Keywords: Health services research; Qualitative research; Systemic Lupus Erythematosus.