Treatment of cutaneous lupus erythematosus with etretinate

Abstract

Nineteen patients with different clinical subsets of cutaneous lupus erythematosus (LE) were treated with the aromatic retinoid etretinate. In 11 of them excellent or good treatment results were obtained within two to six weeks. Best response to etretinate therapy was seen in male patients with discoid lupus erythematosus. Etretinate should prove a valuable drug in LE therapy.