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Introduction: Granuloma annulare (GA) has been reported as associated with multiple diseases, mainly diabetes mellitus (DM), thyroid diseases, and dyslipidemia. However, the high prevalence of some of these illnesses makes it difficult to assess whether the association is real or fortuitous. Objectives: Our objective was to analyze the clinical features of GA patients and the possible associations. Methods: This is a retrospective observational study of 225 patients with biopsy-proven GA diagnosed between 2009 and 2019 in a referral university hospital in Barcelona, Spain. Clinical charts were reviewed to obtain clinical data. As a control group we used a random list of 225 patients diagnosed in the hospital traumatology department in the same period, matched by age and sex. Results: Diabetes was diagnosed in 40 GA patients (18%) (34 in the control group, 15%) and hypothyroidism in 33 (15%) (22 in the control group 9.8%); the differences were not significant. We also did not detect any association with uveitis, sarcoidosis, necrobiosis lipoidica, Sweet syndrome, HIV infection, hepatitis B, or hematological malignancies. We only detected a possible association with hepatitis C (6 GA patients, 2.7%, versus 0 controls, P = 0.03), and hypercholesterolemia (108 GA patients, 48%, versus 79 controls, 35%, P = 0.007). Conclusions: The possible pathogenic explanations for the association with hepatitis C and hypercholesterolemia seem unlikely. We consider that the association of GA with other diseases, including hypercholesterolemia and hepatitis C, is doubtful and that it there is no justification rule out possible associated diseases in patients with GA.
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Rosai-Dorfman-Destombes disease (RDD) or sinus histiocytosis with massive lymphadenopathy is a rare non-Langerhans cell histiocytosis of unknown cause. The disease often manifests as painless bilateral cervical lymphadenopathy associated with systemic symptoms such as fever and weight loss. Extranodal disease is also frequent and can involve any organ, mostly the skin, nasal cavity, bone, and retro-orbital tissue. Swelling of cartilaginous tissues, such as the helix of the ear or laryngeal structures, may mimic the entity known as relapsing polychondritis. Although spontaneous remission is the most expected evolution, some cases require systemic treatment with prednisone, methotrexate or cytotoxic agents, with variable rates of success. In this respect, since somatic variants in the genes involved in the mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) and extracellular signal-regulated kinases (ERK) pathway have been observed to play a pathogenic role in RDD. Therefore, the use of therapies targeting these pathogenic variants appears to be a reasonable strategy. Here we present the case of a 37-year-old woman with RDD and extensive extranodal involvement that showed a rapid and complete response to the MEK inhibitor cobimetinib. LEARNING POINTS: Rosai-Dorfman-Destombes disease (RDD) may mimic the entity known as relapsing polychondritis but should be treated with drug therapy for the underlying disease.Mutations in MAPK/ERK pathway components should be determined in RDD with systemic involvement, although testing to determine every somatic mutation responsible for the disease is not available in all healthcare centres.MEK inhibitors like cobimetinib could be effective in RDD cases with severe and refractory systemic disease, even if molecular analysis has not been possible.