The essential morphologic features of the chronic fixed (discoid) form of lupus erythematosus are well known. On the other hand, the acute and subacute disseminated varieties of the disease present clinical characteristics that do not fit precisely into the classic conception of the disorder. Internists are more likely to be consulted by patients afflicted with this disease when (1) the eruption is mild, inconspicuous or regarded as banal (sunburn); (2) the clinical course is fulminating and characterized by severe constitutional symptoms, as in the d'emblée type; (3) the systemic complaints antedate the onset of the dermatosis. Since the morphologic attributes may not completely coincide with the usual textbook descriptions, based on the fixed type of the disease, the symptom complex is frequently not recognized. There are numerous examples of the entity buried in the literature under various titles. The tendency to regard the malady as a disorder sui generis is