PIP: A case of acute diffuse lupus erythematosus in a 22-year-old woman who had been taking a contraceptive containing ethinyl estradiol and ethynodiol diacetate regularly for 2 years is reported. The course of the illness and the treatment are described in detail. This is regarded as a relatively rare possible side effect of oral contraceptives, although similar cases have been reported by other authors. The question of whether oral contraceptives are actually responsible for the development of such conditions is still the subject of heated debate, bu t it is concluded that in the case described there is an unquestionable correlation, because the subacute lupus erythematosus appeared suddenly, without being preceded by a chronic form of the disease, and especially because it coincided with thromboembolic accidents, which are much more frequently related to the use of oral contraceptives.