Successful treatment of facial localized discoid lupus erythematosus with intralesional betamethasone: A report of three cases

Dermatol Ther. 2020 May;33(3):e13389. doi: 10.1111/dth.13389. Epub 2020 May 22.

Abstract

Discoid lupus erythematosus (DLE) is a chronic autoimmune skin disease that usually causes disfiguring scarring, dyspigmentation, and atrophy. Despite a range of available topical and systemic therapies, the treatment of DLE remains a therapeutic challenge, especially in some refractory cases. Here, we reported three male patients with long-term chronic lesions of unilateral facial localized DLE, who failed to have their disease controlled with many previous topical/systemic treatments, showed rapid and well response to intralesional injections of betamethasone (2 mg/mL, 0.2 mL/site) monotherapy once every 2 weeks for two, two, and four times of treatment, respectively. Intralesional betamethasone may provide a safe and effective alternative in the management of refractory localized DLE skin lesions.

Keywords: betamethasone; discoid lupus erythematosus; intralesional injections.

Publication types

  • Case Reports
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Administration, Cutaneous
  • Administration, Topical
  • Betamethasone* / therapeutic use
  • Cicatrix
  • Humans
  • Lupus Erythematosus, Discoid* / diagnosis
  • Lupus Erythematosus, Discoid* / drug therapy
  • Male

Substances

  • Betamethasone