What Is the Treatment of Lupus Pernio? Structured Protocol for This Form of Skin Sarcoidosis
Lupus pernio is a distinct cutaneous manifestation of sarcoidosis. Its treatment requires a targeted approach that differs from general sarcoidosis management — evidence supports a specific class of therapy that has demonstrated superiority over broader immunosuppressive or antimalarial strategies for this skin presentation.
Treatment Approach
The structured protocol for lupus pernio centres on anti-TNF therapy as the key therapeutic intervention. The complete regimen — covering specific agents, any combination strategies, and the full clinical algorithm — is available in the structured protocol below.
References
- If the above therapy is inadequate: anti-TNF therapy, possibly with methotrexate.
- Anti-TNF therapy includes infliximab and adalimumab.
- For lupus pernio, a large retrospective study reported that anti-TNF therapy was significantly better than cytotoxic or antimalarial therapy, and it could be considered as second-line therapy for this particular form of skin sarcoidosis.