ABSTRACT
The autoimmune group of disorders (sometimes known as autoaggressive diseases and which were previously also known as the connective tissue diseases) comprises lupus erythematosus, sclero - derma, dermatomyositis and mixed connective tissue disease. Each of these ‘polar’ diseases includes several clinical types and may exhibit features of other of the polar disorders (‘overlap’ diseases). If this is not confusing enough it is also the case that other diseases such as the bullous disorders, vitiligo and alopecia areata also have an autoimmune patho - genesis. In any event in this chapter I will concentrate on the facial aspects of lupus erythematosus – scleroderma and dermatomyositis – and discuss their systemic aspects only briefly.
