Cutaneous manifestations of neonatal lupus: a case report

Neonatal Lupus Erythematosus (NLE) is a rare disease associated with placental transport of maternal anti-Ro/ /La and/or anti-U1RNP antibodies into the fetal circulation and characterized by cardiac, cutaneous, hematologic and hepatic manifestations. The most serious complication of NLE is complete heart block and cardiomyopathy. The maternal connective tissue disorder has been systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) or Sjögren syndrome in most cases, however approximately 50% of mothers are asymptomatic at the time of diagnosis, testing positive only against Ro and/ or U1RNP auto-antibodies. We describe a case of neonatal lupus erythematosus and review the clinical and laboratory manifestations of this rare disease.