ANA-negative systemic lupus erythematosus with targetoid lesions: Rowell syndrome or just a rare presentation of lupus erythematosus
Keywords:
Lupus erythematosus, erythema multiforme, Rowell syndromeAbstract
Rowell syndrome is usually diagnosed by the presence of erythema multiforme (EM)-like targetoid lesions in the patients of cutaneous or systemic lupus erythematosus (CLE/SLE) and characterized by specific serological or immunological profile like speckled antinuclear antibody (ANA) pattern, antibody against saline extract of human tissues (anti-SjT) and positive serum rheumatoid factor (RF). The absence of universally accepted criteria and their poor specificity usually make the diagnosis very difficult. Moreover in the light of histopathological revelation of dermal mucin deposition along with interface changes and necrotic basal keratinocytes in the absence of serum positivity for ANA antibody and RF, true existence of this syndrome is still doubtful. Here we report a case of ANA-negative SLE having targetoid lesions on distal extremities and histopathological evidence of both the disease i.e LE and EM.References
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