Journal of Clinical and Investigative Dermatology
Case Report
Linear Pigmented Discoid Lupus Erythematosus on the Scalp of a 52-Year-Old Male, Filipino Treated with Pico Laser: A Case Report
Michaela Gabrielle G. Guieb*, Ma. Flordeliz Abad- Casintahan and Ma. Eleanor Cathryn D. Salonga
Department of Dermatology, Jose R. Reyes Memorial Medical Center, Manila, Philippines
*Address for Correspondence:Michaela Gabrielle G. Guieb, Department of Dermatology, Jose
R. Reyes Memorial Medical Center, Manila, Philippines. E-mail Id: micaaaguieb@gmail.com
Submission: 13 September, 2025
Accepted: 07 October, 2025
Published:10 October, 2025
Accepted: 07 October, 2025
Published:10 October, 2025
Copyright: © 2025 Guieb MGG, et al. This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
Keywords: Linear Pigmented Discoid Lupus Erythematosus; DLE;
Super High Potency Corticosteroid; Calcineurin Inhibitor; Pico Laser
Abstract
Linear cutaneous lupus erythematosus is an exceptionally rare
variant of cutaneous lupus erythematosus (CLE) characterized by
linear erythematous plaques along the lines of Blaschko. This case
report describes a unique presentation of linear pigmented discoid
lupus erythematosus (DLE) in a 52-year-old, male, Filipino with a history
of intense sun exposure. The patient presented with a progressive
hyperpigmented linear plaque on the left frontal and left parietal area,
without systemic symptoms. The patient demonstrated improvement
following a treatment of super high potency topical corticosteroid then
topical calcineurin inhibitor with strict photoprotection, and adjunctive
measures. The lesions decreased in thickness, hyperpigmentation,
and scaling. The Cutaneous Lupus Erythematosus Disease Area and
Severity Index showed a decrease in the activity score from six to
two, indicating a positive treatment response. Hyperpigmentation
of the plaques decreased after two treatment sessions and showed
further improvement at one-year follow-up. This is the first reported
case of linear DLE on the scalp among local journals in the Philippines,
highlighting the importance of considering CLE in the differential
diagnosis of linear hyperpigmented plaques, even in the absence of
systemic symptoms. This is also the first known case to use pico laser
as treatment for DLE, based from our knowledge and from published
literature.