Neonatal lupus erythematosus: a cutaneous cases based update.

BACKGROUND: Neonatal Lupus Erythematosus (NLE) is an uncommon autoimmune disease characterized by cutaneous, hepatic, hematological, neurological and cardiac involvement.

CASE PRESENTATION: Here we report four cases of cutaneous NLE which were referred to our department in the last 10 years and update literature. The newborns presented with different skin, clinical and laboratory features. This underlines the phenotypic variability of NLE. We investigated the passage of maternal antinuclear antibodies (ANA) and extractable nuclear antigen antibodies (ENA) - particularly anti-Ro/SSA, anti-La/SSB and anti-U1 ribonucleoprotein RNP - through the placenta. Despite the positive family background, cutaneous NLE and serological data improved in infants within 4 months without treatment.

CONCLUSION: The evolution of cutaneous NLE may be the spontaneous regression of lesions within six months without progression to Systemic Lupus Erytehmatosus.