Alopecia associated with papulonodular mucinosis (tumid) lesions of lupus erythematosus.

Nonscarring lesions associated with lupus erythematosus (LE) include the diffuse alopecia associated with acute flares of systemic LE (SLE), frontal alopecia, and alopecia areata. We present a patient with a less often recognized lesion called papulonodular mucinosis or tumid LE who presented with nonscarring patches of alopecia, which clinically resembled alopecia areata. Histopathological examination revealed abundant Alcian blue positive material in the dermis, typical of tumid LE. We believe our patient demonstrates a fourth type of nonscarring alopecia that may occur in patients with LE.