Cutaneous lupus erythematosus manifesting as unilateral eyelid erythema and swelling

Unilateral eyelid involvement, as the only manifestation of discoid lupus erythematosus (DLE), is very rare. Here, we report the case of a 41-year-old woman who presented with erythema and swelling of her left upper eyelid, which was initially misdiagnosed as cutaneous lymphoid hyperplasia. She had initially received radiotherapy at another institute for treatment. Our examinations established the diagnosis of DLE, and direct immunofluorescence confirmed this diagnosis. The skin lesion improved after treatment with topical steroids and oral hydroxycholoroquine.