Avoid the misspelling lupus erythematosis. An illness that may be chronic (characterized by skin lesions alone), subacute (characterized by recurring superficial nonscarring skin lesions that are more disseminated and present more acute features both clinically and histologically than those seen in the chronic discoid phase), or systemic or disseminated (in which antinuclear antibodies are present and in which there is almost always involvement of vital structures).discoid lupus erythematosus, systemic lupus erythematosus.