Abstract: The clinical data of patients with LEP from database were retrospectively analyzed. With “lupus panniculitis” and “deep lupus erythematosus” as the search terms, we searched CNKI database, Wanfang database, Vip database. A total of 31 articles were included, involving 31 patients. There were 27 females and 4 males, with a mean age of onset of 30.2 years old and a mean duration of disease of 2.8 years. The lesions mainly on the face (14 cases), upper limbs (12 cases), buttocks (7 cases) and lower limbs (7 cases), and 19 patients had lesions in two or more areas. Antinuclear antibody positivity rate was 61.3% (19 cases). The diagnosis of the disease was confirmed by skin biopsy in 29 patients. Ten patients had been misdiagnosed with other diseases such as vasculitis. Symptoms improved in all patients, of whom 22.6% treated with glucocorticoids alone and 45.2% with hydroxychloroquine or other immunosuppressants. The average dosage of glucocorticoids was 28 mg/day of prednisone and 0.3 g/day of hydroxychloroquine. Early diagnosis of LEP is difficult and often based on biopsy. Early application of glucocorticoids combined with one or more immunosuppressants can effectively improve the symptoms.

Key words: lupus erythematosus panniculitis, clinical characteristics, hydroxychloroquine