Local excision in the treatment of oral discoid lupus erythematosus.

Oral lesions in eight patients with discoid lupus erythematosus (DLE) were treated with local excision. Ten well-demarcated oral lesions were excised and a primary closure was obtained following the excision. Six patients out of seven became symptom-free following the treatment. The median observation time was 1.0 year. The follow-up examination showed erythema in one case and recurrence in one case at the operation site. In the remaining eight operation sites, a soft scar with no sign of recurrence was seen. These results indicate that the method should be investigated further in order to obtain long-term results. Local excision of oral discoid lesions may be a valuable therapeutic supplement in some cases of DLE.