Periocular discoid lupus erythematosus: Diagnostic challenges of a clinical and histopathological masquerader

Discoid lupus erythematosus (DLE) of the eyelid is a difficult clinical diagnosis due to its rarity and ability to masquerade as other conditions including blepharoconjunctivitis, allergic contact dermatitis, psoriasis or lichen planus.(1) The delay in diagnosis can cause permanent eyelid damage. Less well known is its ability to masquerade histologically as other squamoproliferative conditions, particularly squamous cell carcinoma(2,3) .