We report the case of a 49-year-old male with clinical and histological findings consistent with hypertrophic lupus erythematosus (HLE). HLE must be clinically and histologically differentiated from keratoacanthoma, hypertrophic lichen planus, squamous cell carcinoma and plaque type psoriasis. CD123 positivity and transepidermal elimination of elastin have recently been reported as tools to distinguish HLE. Interestingly, in this case, biopsies of two separate lesions failed to reveal these two features. The etiology of this discrepancy is unknown and further studies are needed to clarify the utility of CD123 positivity and transepidermal elimination of elastin in the diagnosis of hypertrophic lupus erythematosus.