Clinicopathologic features, demographics, disease burden, and therapeutics in alopecic sarcoidosis: a case series and systematic review.

Background: Alopecic sarcoidosis is an uncommon cutaneous manifestation of sarcoidosis. Scarring and nonscarring alopecic sarcoidosis have been reported; however, information on the epidemiology, systemic disease associations, and treatment efficacy is limited. Objective: To address these gaps, we conducted a retrospective chart review and systematic literature review of alopecic sarcoidosis cases. Methods: Full-text English publications from PubMed, Scopus, and Google Scholar from inception to August 2023 were analyzed. Treatment evidence quality was assessed using the modified Oxford Centre for Evidence-Based Medicine rating scale. Three patients with biopsy-proven alopecic sarcoidosis were included as a case series, all demonstrating systemic sarcoidosis and 2 requiring multiple therapies. Among 1778 search results, 60 articles representing 77 cases of alopecic and scalp sarcoidosis were included. Patients were categorized into 4 distinct alopecic subgroups. Black patients constituted the majority of all subgroups. Results: Extracutaneous sarcoidosis burden was high across all alopecic subgroups, with ocular disease appearing overrepresented. Topical and oral corticosteroids were the main treatments. Though scarring alopecia patients had poor outcomes despite receiving immunomodulators/cx, limited data suggest potential efficacy of tumor necrosis factor-alpha inhibitors. Limitations: This study has a small sample size. Conclusion: Our findings underscore the importance of evidence-based strategies for improving alopecic sarcoidosis management. Prompt diagnosis and systemic evaluation, especially for scarring alopecia, are essential for timely intervention to optimize patient outcomes.

Recurrent herpes infection showing a new facial phenotype: A case report.

BACKGROUND: Facial herpes is a common form of the herpes simplex virus-1 infection and usually presents as vesicles near the mouth, nose, and periocular sites. In contrast, we observed a new facial symptom of herpes on the entire face without vesicles. CASE SUMMARY: A 33-year-old woman with a history of varicella infection and shingles since an early age presented with sarcoidosis of the entire face and neuralgia without oral lesions. The patient was prescribed antiviral treatment with valacyclovir and acyclovir cream. One day after drug administration, facial skin lesions and neurological pain improved. Herpes simplex without oral blisters can easily be misdiagnosed as pimples upon visual examination in an outpatient clinic. CONCLUSION: As acute herpes simplex is accompanied by neuralgia, prompt diagnosis and prescription are necessary, considering the pathological history and health conditions.

Lupus Miliaris Disseminatus Faciei: A Report of a Rare Case and Its Differential Diagnosis.

Lupus miliaris disseminatus faciei (LMDF), often known as "acne agminata," is an uncommon illness that causes facial papules. Clinically, it has monomorphic reddish-brown, dome-shaped central papules with periorbital location. Histopathologically, a cutaneous granulomatous response is common around hair follicles and is accompanied by central necrosis. In the dermatology outpatient clinic, a 51-year-old woman had many tiny papules on her right side malar area for one to two months. Few of them started to regress and demonstrated healing with superficial scarring. The pathology showed a granulomatous response on microscopy, and histology and clinical correlation confirmed the case as Lupus miliaris disseminatus faciei. LMDF must be distinguished from tuberculous granuloma, granulomatous rosacea, and perioral dermatitis. The patient was prescribed systemic dapsone and topical tacrolimus therapy, and the lesion improved at the follow-up visit.

Extra-pulmonary Cutaneous Sarcoidosis Presenting With Granulomatous Cranial Lesions and Cardiac Complications: A Case Report.

Sarcoidosis is a non-caseating granulomatous disorder affecting multiple organs. Although the lungs are the most common site of presentation, extra-pulmonary manifestations involving the skin and heart can occur. Sarcoidosis affecting skull bone is uncommon and involvement of skin, heart, and skull bone all together, without pulmonary manifestations, is extremely rare. We report a 63-year-old Caucasian woman with a past history of cutaneous sarcoidosis and granulomatous skull bone lesions who presented with recurrent syncope. An ambulatory cardiac monitor detected intermittent high-grade atrioventricular block and cardiac MRI confirmed the diagnosis of cardiac sarcoidosis. This case represents an extremely unique journey of sarcoidosis and suggests potential consideration for cardiac sarcoidosis screening in patients with a history of extra-cardiac manifestations.

Cutaneous Sarcoidosis.

Sarcoidosis is a multisystem disease that most commonly affects the lungs, lymphatic system, eyes, and skin but any organ may be involved. Cutaneous sarcoidosis most commonly presents as pink-red to red-brown papules and plaques that commonly affect the head and neck. With the skin being readily accessible for evaluation and biopsy, when sarcoidosis is suspected, dermatologic evaluation may be helpful for establishing a definitive diagnosis. Treatment strategy depends on the severity and distribution of skin lesions and should incorporate patient preference and treatment considerations for other organs that may be involved.

Subcutaneous Sarcoidosis.

This case report focuses on a 40-year-old female with multiple subcutaneous skin nodules presenting to the clinic for worsening skin lesions associated with erythema and mild tenderness. A biopsy of the skin lesions showed non-necrotizing granulomas with multinucleated giant cells. The patient was being worked up for non-necrotizing granulomatous skin lesions and was diagnosed with subcutaneous sarcoidosis. Sarcoidosis diagnosis is based on clinical presentation, histopathological changes, and ruling out other granulomatous causes. Our patient is being treated with systemic steroids, hydroxychloroquine, methotrexate, and adalimumab. The patient is nine months into the treatment. A clinically significant reduction in the nodule size was noted. Other systemic involvement of sarcoid was ruled out. This subcutaneous skin involvement is a rare finding called the Darier-Roussy sarcoid. Usually self-resolving but extensive, deformative lesions need to be treated.

Recent Clinical Studies on the Effects of Tumor Necrosis Factor-Alpha (TNF-α) and Janus Kinase/Signal Transducers and Activators of Transcription (JAK/STAT) Antibody Therapies in Refractory Cutaneous Sarcoidosis: A Systematic Review.

The widely accepted standard of care for chronic cutaneous sarcoidosis is corticosteroids. However, when this treatment is shown to be refractory, other interventions must be considered. In this review, we report the current progress of clinical studies on various monoclonal antibody therapies and their future potential as primary interventions for refractory cutaneous sarcoidosis. In this systematic review, clinical studies on the management of refractory cutaneous sarcoidosis were retrieved from PubMed and ScienceDirect databases. Studies were screened based on article type, publication within the last 10 years, and access to free full text. The articles selected consisted of case studies, clinical trials, and observational studies. The studies needed to focus on cases of diagnosed cutaneous sarcoidosis at the time of the study and involve adult patients resistant to corticosteroid regimens, with or without additional immunomodulators. Only interventions that included tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) (e.g., infliximab and adalimumab) or Janus kinase/signal transducers and activators of transcription (JAK/STAT) (e.g., ruxolitinib and tofacitinib) antibody therapy were considered. Two authors independently conducted quality assessments using the Joanna Briggs Institute Critical Appraisal and NIH Study Quality Assessment tools. A total of 16 clinical studies were included in this systematic review using the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) flow diagram. Of the 16 cases included, 15 studies demonstrated partial to complete resolution of cutaneous lesions within a range of two weeks to 18 months from initiation of antibody therapy. Studies on anti-TNF-α intervention demonstrated the most adverse events, including two deaths and one case associated with cutaneous exacerbation. Studies on anti-JAK-STAT interventions demonstrate no adverse events after treatment; however, patient study size was limiting. Recent studies have shown promising potential for anti-TNF-α and anti-JAK-STAT inhibitors to become the mainstay interventions in refractory cutaneous sarcoidosis. Due to limited population studies, the current data on the efficacy and safety of antibody therapies have not yielded a standardized FDA-approved steroid-sparing treatment. Therefore, a need for more population studies on the effectiveness of third-line intervention in refractory cutaneous sarcoidosis is necessary.

Facial Granulomatous Rosacea: A Case Report.

Granulomatous rosacea is a chronic inflammatory skin disease. We present the case of a 30-year-old woman with a three-month history of erythematous monomorphic papules and nodules on the cheeks and forehead. Histopathological examinations revealed tuberculoid granulomas with multinucleated giant cells. Granulomatous rosacea should be differentiated from other similar granulomatous skin diseases such as cutaneous sarcoidosis and Lupus miliaris disseminates faciei.

Cutaneous Sarcoidosis: A Differential Diagnosis to Consider in Undiagnosed Skin Lesions.

The presentation of sarcoidosis varies depending on the organs involved. Cutaneous sarcoidosis usually presents with other organ involvement, but isolated presentation is possible. However, diagnosing isolated cutaneous sarcoidosis can be challenging in resource-poor countries, particularly where sarcoidosis is relatively uncommon, since cutaneous sarcoidosis usually does not cause troublesome symptoms. We present a case of cutaneous sarcoidosis in an elderly female who had been suffering from skin lesions for nine years. The diagnosis was made after the appearance of lung involvement, which raised the suspicion of sarcoidosis and prompted a skin biopsy. The patient was then treated with systemic steroids and methotrexate, and her lesions improved shortly thereafter. This case highlights the importance of considering sarcoidosis as a possible cause of undiagnosed, refractory cutaneous lesions.

Cutaneous Sarcoidosis.

Sarcoidosis is a chronic, multisystem, inflammatory disorder that is characterized by noncaseating granulomas that cause organ dysfunction with various clinical subphenotypes. The incidence and prevalence of sarcoidosis varies greatly by ethnic background. There are significant racial disparities in prevalence, severity, and outcomes; however, there is a dearth of studies investigating the impact of structural racism. The skin is often the presenting and second most frequently involved organ with significant implications on diagnosis and management in patients with darkly pigmented skin. Workup should be comprehensive given the multisystem involvement. There are many therapies for sarcoidosis, although none is universally effective.

An Impressive Finding of Sarcoid-Like Reaction to Tattooing.

This case represents an impressive finding of a young male who developed cutaneous sarcoid-like reactions that arose secondarily to tattoo ink. Cutaneous manifestations of sarcoidosis can present themselves in various ways, be caused by different inducing factors, and may present themselves not only cutaneously but as one of the many findings of systemic sarcoidosis. A 24-year-old black gentleman presented to the dermatology clinic with a manifestation of papules in his tattoos that covered a majority of his body. The patient tried hypoallergenic tattoo ink to see if this would prevent the formation of these bumps; however, this only further provoked the production of these papules confined to tattooed areas. Skin findings revealed linear raised papules in a continuous fashion in areas where the patient had tattoo ink on his torso, bilateral arms and legs, and face. At presentation, he denied any constitutional, pulmonary, or ophthalmologic symptoms. Pathological findings revealed sarcoidal granulomatous dermatitis showing nodular non-necrotizing granulomatous inflammatory infiltrate involving the superficial and deep dermis. The patient was then evaluated by pulmonology to rule out any systemic findings of sarcoidosis, which showed a negative chest x-ray. The patient was started on oral prednisone and topical pimecrolimus cream, and when he returned for his one-month follow-up, there were minimal to no visible cutaneous lesions. Tattoo ink has been shown to cause a variety of cutaneous reactions such as infections, neoplasms, and inflammatory dermatoses such as eczema, lichen planus, psoriasis, vitiligo, and sarcoidosis. Cutaneous sarcoid-like reactions secondary to tattoo ink are rare findings; however, they must be taken seriously due to the risk of systemic sarcoidosis involvement both at initial presentation and in the future.

Extrapulmonary Sarcoidosis With Multi-Organ Involvement Presenting Primarily as Hypercalcemia.

Sarcoidosis is a highly variable disease. The majority of cases affect the lungs, but they can involve other organs as well. Extrapulmonary sarcoidosis is rare, and it can present in many ways. Therefore, the diagnosis can be challenging. We hereby present a case of a patient presenting with hypercalcemia and diagnosed with extrapulmonary sarcoidosis with multi-organ involvement. This article was previously presented as a meeting abstract at the MI-ACP 2022 Annual Scientific Meeting on October 14, 2022.

Dermoscopy of cutaneous granulomatous disorders: A study of 107 cases.

BACKGROUND: Cutaneous granulomatous disorders (CGDs) can share some features, but an accurate assessment of various findings and their pattern can be useful in differentiating them. In addition to common dermoscopic findings for CGDs, some peculiar dermoscopic characteristics can be helpful in distinguishing them. OBJECTIVE: Herein, we aimed to evaluate dermoscopic findings in patients with CGDs and determine the dermoscopic criteria that could suggest the type of granulomatous disorder. MATERIAL AND METHODS: A total of 107 cases including 75 (70.09%) males and 32 (29.90%) females with an established diagnosis of cutaneous leishmaniasis (n = 49), cutaneous sarcoidosis (n = 23), granuloma annulare (GA) (n = 18), and tattoo granuloma (n = 17) confirmed by clinical and pathological studies were included. Based on the previous studies available in the literature, we wrote a checklist containing dermoscopic features of CGDs. Afterward, two dermatologists independently reviewed all dermoscopic images for the presence or absence of each item on the checklist. Descriptive analysis, fisher exact, chi-square, and t-test were used. The granulomatous disorders with larger sample sizes were selected for further analysis, including the univariate and conditional multivariate logistic regressions. RESULTS: The most prevalent nonvascular findings in all of our CGD patients were white scaling (N = 67%, 62.61%), diffuse or localized orange structureless areas (N = 53%, 49.53%), and diffuse erythema (N = 48%, 44.85%). Furthermore, the most frequent vascular findings in all of our CGD cases were branching and arborizing vessels (N = 30%, 28.03%), linear irregular (N = 30%, 28.03%), and dotted vessels (N = 27%, 25.23%). CONCLUSION: For differentiating leishmaniasis from sarcoidosis by dermoscopy, white scaling and white scarring areas are more suggestive of cutaneous leishmaniasis, whereas the presence of arborizing vessels would be more in favor of sarcoidosis. When comparing GA to cutaneous leishmaniasis, the latter significantly shows more linear irregular vessels, hairpin vessels, white scaling, and white scarring areas. In the case of differentiating sarcoidosis from GA, the presence of hairpin vessels would be suggestive of sarcoidosis.