Foreign bodies in granulomatous cutaneous lesions of patients with systemic sarcoidosis.
OBJECTIVE
To assess the presence of foreign material in the granulomatous cutaneous lesions of patients with systemic sarcoidosis.


METHODS
Observational study reevaluating histological specimens at a university referral hospital.


METHODS
Sixty-five patients diagnosed as having sarcoidosis who developed granulomatous cutaneous involvement.


METHODS
To detect the presence of polarizable foreign particles in cutaneous biopsy specimens and to evaluate the association with clinical features of the patients.


RESULTS
Granulomatous cutaneous involvement was demonstrated in 65 (15.3%) of 425 patients with systemic sarcoidosis. In 14 (22%) of the 65 patients, the cutaneous biopsy specimen showed foreign particles in polarized light. The skin lesions corresponded to 3 different clinical patterns: an admixture of papules and infiltration of previously undetected minute scars (n = 6); scar sarcoidosis (n = 4); and subcutaneous nodules (n = 4). The lesions were located most frequently in the extremities, involving the knees in 10 patients.


CONCLUSIONS
The presence of polarizable foreign body material in granulomatous cutaneous lesions is not infrequent in patients with systemic sarcoidosis. Inoculation of foreign matter from a previous inapparent minor trauma may induce granuloma formation in individuals with sarcoidosis.
Marcoval
J
J
Department of Dermatology, Hospital de Bellvitge, Carrer Feixa Llarga s/n, Hospitalet de Llobregat, 08907 Barcelona, Spain. jmarcoval@csub.scs.es
Mañá
J
J
Moreno
A
A
Gallego
I
I
Fortuño
Y
Y
Peyrí
J
J
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001706:Biopsy; D002921:Cicatrix / Q000473:pathology; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D005260:Female; D015745:Granuloma, Foreign-Body / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000473:pathology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012507:Sarcoidosis / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000473:pathology*; D012867:Skin / Q000473:pathology*; D012871:Skin Diseases / Q000473:pathology*