Subacute cutaneous lupus erythematosus (SCLE ) is a clinically distinct subset of cases of lupus erythematosus that is most often present in white women aged 15 to 40, consisting of skin lesions that are scaly and evolve as poly-cyclic annular lesions or plaques similar to those of plaque psoriasis.
[3] Lesions of SCLE may have an annular (shaped like a ring) configuration, with raised red borders and central clearing.
[4][5] The lesions of systemic lupus erythematosus are characterized by their distribution, which can be either annular with central clearing or papulosquamous.
[7] SCLE typically avoids the face and is more common in sun-exposed areas such as the neck, shoulders, chest, and extensor surfaces of the arms.
Sunlight exposure is the traditional precipitating factor in patients with immune dysregulation and an aberrant milieu of genetic predisposition.