Multiple dermatofibromas in patients with autoimmune disorders receiving immunosuppressive therapy.

Multiple dermatofibromas have been previously reported in ten patients with autoimmune disorders; in six of these, the lesions initially appeared several months after commencing treatment with immunosuppressive medications. Two additional patients with autoimmune disorders receiving systemic corticosteroid therapy who subsequently developed multiple dermatofibromas are described: a 69-year-old man with a 24-year history of pemphigus vulgaris (23 lesions on his legs) and a 22-year-old woman with a 2-year history of systemic lupus erythematosus (four lesions on her legs and trunk). The association of multiple dermatofibromas in individuals with an altered immune system may provide insight into the pathogenesis of this cutaneous condition.