Neutrophils in the setting of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) are commonly associated with bullous disease. Rare cases of nonbullous neutrophilic lesions have been reported in patients with SLE.

This study used clinical and histologic findings of 4 patients to further define the newly emerging entity of nonbullous neutrophilic lupus erythematosus (LE).

We reviewed the clinical and pathological findings of 4 patients with known SLE who developed urticarial papules, plaques, subcutaneous nodules, or a combination of these.

All patients were women with established SLE. Histopathological findings in all patients included an interstitial and perivascular neutrophilic infiltrate with leukocytoclasia, and variable vacuolar alteration along the dermoepidermal junction. Direct immunofluorescence study results in two patients were positive for C3, IgG, and IgM along the basement membrane zone. One patient also presented with neutrophil-rich lupus panniculitis. All clinical lesions resolved with immunomodulating/immunosuppressive agents.

This study was limited by the small number of cases.

Nonbullous neutrophilic LE is an important entity to consider in the differential diagnosis of neutrophil-mediated eruptions. In addition, the histologic finding of neutrophils in the setting of lupus should alert one to the possibility of systemic disease.