Conjunctival deposits as the first sign of systemic sarcoidosis in a pediatric patient.
OBJECTIVE
Sarcoidosis is an inflammatory disease of unknown cause, characterized by noncaseating granulomas. In this study, the authors present a sarcoidosis patient without systemic signs diagnosed by histopathologic analysis of conjunctival deposits.


METHODS
A 10-year-old girl had bilateral, focal, multilobular, multiple pale yellow deposits in bulbar conjunctiva for a year. In the patient's biomicroscopic examination, numerous 0.50- to 2-mm diameter pale yellow deposits were determined in both bulbar conjunctivas. The patient had no other systemic or ocular complaints. A conjunctival biopsy was performed.


RESULTS
The biopsy specimens showed noncaseating granulomas with prominent asteroid bodies. Serum angiotensin-converting enzyme levels were increased in the patient. Conjunctival deposits were the first manifestation of sarcoidosis in the patient and the diagnosis of sarcoidosis was confirmed with a conjunctival biopsy.


CONCLUSIONS
To the authors' knowledge, this is the second study that reports a sarcoidosis patient with non-systemic involvement diagnosed after histopathologic analysis of conjunctival deposits.
Department of Ophthalmology, Dicle University Faculty of Medicine, Diyarbakiyr, Turkey. ihsancaca@mynet.com
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I
Caça
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Unlü
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Büyükbayram
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S
Ari
D001706:Biopsy; D002648:Child; D003228:Conjunctiva / Q000473:pathology*; D003229:Conjunctival Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000201:enzymology; D005260:Female; D006099:Granuloma / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D007703:Peptidyl-Dipeptidase A / Q000097:blood; D012507:Sarcoidosis / Q000175:diagnosis*
D007703:Peptidyl-Dipeptidase A