Periorbital edema may occur initially or in the course of a wide variety of
diseases. One of these diseases is lupus panniculitis, a variant of lupus
erythematosus, characterized by firm subcutaneous nodules that may ulcerate
with subsequent scar formation. We present a case of lupus panniculitis in
which the periorbital edema was the initial manifestation. Knowledge about
the differential diagnostic possibilities of periorbital edema as well as
the different variants of cutaneous lupus erythematosus is important to rea
ch the correct diagnosis.