Lupus Erythematosus as a Systemic Disease

The clinical picture of localized or discoid lupus erythematosus, with which I wish to contrast the disseminate form with constitutional manifestations, is familiar to most practitioners. The conception of a grave form of lupus erythematosus with severe systemic disturbances and with the extension of the local process originated with Kaposi. In 1872 he first called attention to the presence of toxic symptoms, and was evidently familiar with the hyperpyrexial attacks occasionally seen when discoid lesions are present. Very little has been added to an understanding of the disease since his time. Boeck 1 temporarily confused the problem when he designated lesions on the fingers, which can now probably be classified with Darier's folliclis, as lesions of disseminate lupus erythematosus. The whole matter was probably still more obscured by the French tendency to enumerate a large number of subclasses of lupus erythematosus which essentially are only different degrees of the same