Verrucous lupus erythematosus: ultrastructural studies on a distinct variant of chronic discoid lupus erythematosus.

Ten patients with classic discoid lupus erythematosus of the face associated with verrucous, papulonodular lesions on the arms and hands were studied by electron microscopy. The ultrastructural findings on the verrucous lesions included apoptotic keratinocytes, intraepidermal lymphocytes, and gapping, detachment, and reduplication of the basal lamina. Also, tubuloreticular inclusion bodies were present in the endothelial cells. These observations, together with the clinical, histopathologic, and immunofluorescence findings, suggest that the verrucous lesions represent a rare, but distinct, variant of chronic discoid lupus erythematosus.