Abstract: The clinical and laboratory data of 22 cases of subacute cutaneous lupus erythematosus (SOLE) were analysed. Comparing with 160 cases of SLE and Sontheimer's 27 cases of SOLE, patients with SCLE had higher incidences of skin lesions and photosensitivity and less renal and CNS involvements. Patients with SOLE had less hematological involvement than SLE. The frequency of anti-Ro (SSA) and/or anti-La (SSB) antibodies was 63.6% in SCLE. SOLE patients with annular erythematous lesions had less renal and CNS involvements and less frequent hypocomplementemia than those with papulosquamous lesions, while the frequency of the anti-La (SSB) antibodies and rheumatoid factor were higher. Steroid therapy was not used in about half of the patients with annular erythematous lesion, because they responded well to the treatment of DDS. On the other hand, all patients with papulosquamous lesions required steroid therapy. We consider that SOLE is a subset in LE spectrum with good prognosis and cases with annular erythematous lesions are a milder subset of SOLE.