Dermoscopy of cutaneous sarcoidosis.
BACKGROUND
The clinical variability of cutaneous sarcoidosis (CS) often makes its correct diagnosis challenging. Although traditionally employed for the diagnosis of skin tumors, during the past years dermoscopy also gained increasing interest as an aid in the clinical diagnosis of inflammatory and infectious skin manifestations in general dermatology.


OBJECTIVE
Our purpose was to evaluate the usefulness of dermoscopy in the differential diagnosis of CS.


METHODS
This was a retrospective analysis of 7 clinical and dermoscopic images of CS that were collected at dermatology clinics in France and Italy between 2005 and 2009.


RESULTS
Retrospective dermoscopic evaluation revealed small grouped, translucent orange globular structures associated with linear vessels of variable diameter in all 7 cases. In 5 cases, additional central scar-like areas were seen.


CONCLUSIONS
Lesions showing dermoscopically translucent yellow to orange globular-like or structureless areas associated with linear vessels should raise the suspicion of a granulomatous skin disease, including CS.
Pellicano
Riccardo
R
Department of Dermatology, Casa Sollievo della Sofferenza Hospital-IRCCS, San Giovanni Rotondo, Italy. r.pellicano@operapadrepio.it
Tiodorovic-Zivkovic
Danica
D
Gourhant
Jean-Yves
JY
Catricalà
Caterina
C
Ferrara
Gerardo
G
Caldarola
Giacomo
G
Argenziano
Giuseppe
G
Zalaudek
Iris
I
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D046169:Dermoscopy; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012507:Sarcoidosis / Q000175:diagnosis*; D012871:Skin Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis*