Are tattoos safe in patients with Systemic Lupus Erythematosus? Results from a single-centre study

Abstract

Abstract Objective We performed a single-center study to evaluate the development of local and systemic complications after tattooing in a cohort of SLE patients. Furthermore, we tried to identify SLE patients who had expressed the will to be tattooed and why they avoided it. Patients: Consecutive SLE patients were asked to complete a questionnaire about tattoos, including their number, features, and side effects. Open questions were proposed to not-tattooed patients to describe why they did not have tattoos. Results One-hundred ninety-two SLE patients were enrolled [M/F 21/171; median age 41 years (IQR 18)]. Almost 50% of them had at least one tattoo. Seven patients (7.4%) referred adverse reactions to tattoos: interestingly, only one patient experienced a systemic reaction, specifically the occurrence of self-limiting lymphadenopathy. The main reason for avoiding tattoos was the diagnosis of SLE. Conclusions Our results suggest the safety of tattoos in SLE patients, as demonstrated by a low prevalence of mild adverse events.