Calcifying Lupus panniculitis in a patient without manifestations of systemic lupus Erythematosus

lupus panniculitis or lupus profundus is a variant of lupus erythematosus cutaneous that primarily affects subcutaneous tissue. clinically, it is characterized by one or several firm subcutaneous nodules and/or plaques with or without overlying epidermal changes. it is reported to occur with a frequency of 2-3% in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (sle). between 10 and 50 percent of patients with lupus panniculitis will have or eventually develop systemic lupus erythematosus. in nearly all cases there are deep, erythematosus plaques and nodules, and some of them ulcers, which usually involve the proximal extremities, trunk, breasts, buttocks, and face. these lesions may be tender and painful and frequently heal with atrophy and scaring, turning as a chronic condition and subsequently heal with disfigurement. we describe a patient who suffers from lupus panniculitis with no association to sle symptoms and complicated by several progressive and disabling cutaneous lesions.