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Abstract:

Skin manifestations are frequent in systemic connective tissue diseases. These skin lesions are often chronic and disfiguring and can profoundly affect the quality of life of the patient. For the health care workers concerned, these skin manifestations can constitute an important clue to the diagnosis. Indeed, skin lesions are immediately visible and biopsies can easily be taken. The clinical pictures and pathological features can be very characteristic and thus diagnostically very valuable. This review describes and illustrates the most important skin manifestations observed in lupus erythematosus, dermatomyositis and scleroderma. In addition, a practical diagnostic approach in case of a suspected cutaneous vasculitis is proposed.