BACKGROUND: Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is a chronic autoimmune disease 
with wide clinical features ranging from cutaneous manifestations to systemic 
disease. Skin is one of the most commonly affected organs in SLE.
OBJECTIVE: To determine whether there is any correlation between discoid lupus 
erythematosus (DLE) and the severity of SLE.
METHODS: In a prospective cross-sectional study, 60 consecutive patients with 
newly diagnosed SLE were enrolled. Skin biopsy was performed to establish the 
diagnosis of DLE. Disease activity was determined by the Systemic Lupus 
Erythematosus Disease Activity Index 2000 (SLEDAI-2K). A SLEDAI-2K score ≥ 10 
was considered active and severe disease.
RESULTS: Eleven SLE patients (9 females and 2 males) had DLE (18.3%) and 49 
patients (46 females and 3 males) had SLE without DLE (81.7%). The mean age of 
patients with DLE was 30.18 ± 11.07 years and in patients without it was 28.4 ± 
10.26 years (p  =  .6). Three of 11 patients with DLE (27.3%) and 14 of 49 
patients without DLE (28.6%) had a SLEDAI-2K score ≥ 10 (p  =  1).
CONCLUSION: The presence of DLE in our patients with SLE was not associated with 
less severe disease.