Drug-induced subacute cutaneous lupus erythematosus (DI-SCLE) was first described in 1985 in 5 patients who had been taking hydrochlorothiazide.1 The skin lesions in these patients were identical to those seen in idiopathic subacute cutaneous lupus erythematosus (SCLE) and were accompanied by the same autoantibodies (anti-Ro/Sjögren syndrome antigen A [SS-A] and anti-La/Sjögren syndrome antigen B [SS-B]) and HLA type (HLA-DR2/DR3) that are known to be associated with idiopathic SCLE. The skin lesions of SCLE in these 5 patients resolved spontaneously after discontinuing hydrochlorothiazide; however, anti-Ro/SS-A antibodies persisted in all except 1 patient.1 Over the last decade, an increasing number of drugs from different classes have been implicated to be associated with DI-SCLE. Since the concept of DI-SCLE was introduced, it has been reported to look identical to idiopathic SCLE, both clinically and histopathologically; however, one report suggested that the 2 entities can be distinguished based on clinical variations.2 In general, patients with DI-SCLE develop the same anti-Ro antibodies as seen in idiopathic SCLE. In addition, although the rash in DI-SCLE typically resolves with withdrawal of the offending drug, the antibodies tend to persist. Herein, we report a case of a patient being treated with an aromatase inhibitor who presented with clinical, serologic, and histopathologic evidence of DI-SCLE.
Case Reports
Anastrozole-Induced Subacute Cutaneous Lupus Erythematosus
Drug-induced subacute cutaneous lupus erythematosus (DI-SCLE) has been associated with numerous drugs, but there are limited reports of its association with aromatase inhibitor anastrozole. We report the case of a patient undergoing treatment with anastrozole for breast cancer who presented with clinical, serological, and histological evidence consistent with DI-SCLE. Her condition quickly began to improve after the use of anastrozole was discontinued and hydroxychloroquine therapy was initiated. Cases such as ours as well as several others that implicate antiestrogen drugs in association with DI-SCLE seem to be contradictory to studies looking at the usefulness of treating systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) with antiestrogen therapy. Further research on this relationship is warranted.
Practice Points
- There are numerous cases of drug-induced subacute cutaneous lupus erythematosus (DI-SCLE) published in the literature; however, there are limited reports with anastrozole implicated as the causative agent.
- Cases of DI-SCLE are clinically and histologically indistinguishable from idiopathic cases. It is important to recognize and withdraw the offending agent.