Cutaneous sarcoidosis: differential diagnosis. 2007

Esteban Fernandez-Faith, and Jonelle McDonnell
Department of Dermatology, The Cleveland Clinic, 9500 Euclid Avenue, Cleveland, OH 44195, USA.

Sarcoidosis is a multisystem disease with cutaneous lesions present in 20%-35% of patients. Given the wide variability of clinical manifestations, it is one of the "great imitators," making it necessary to consider clinical, epidemiological, radiographic, laboratory, and histopathological criteria to make the diagnosis. Cutaneous lesions have been classified as specific and nonspecific, depending on the presence of noncaseating granulomas on histologic studies. Specific lesions include maculopapules, plaques, nodules, lupus pernio, scar infiltration, alopecia, ulcerative lesions, and hypopigmentation among others. Nail, mucosal, and childhood sarcoidosis represent a distinct subset of the disease process. The most common nonspecific lesion is erythema nodosum. Others include calcifications, prurigo, erythema multiforme, nail clubbing, and Sweet syndrome. The importance of considering cutaneous sarcoidosis in the clinical differential diagnosis of a given skin lesion relies on the association with systemic involvement and the convenience of the skin as a tissue source for histologic analysis.

UI MeSH Term Description Entries
D008297 Male Males
D008875 Middle Aged An adult aged 45 - 64 years. Middle Age
D003937 Diagnosis, Differential Determination of which one of two or more diseases or conditions a patient is suffering from by systematically comparing and contrasting results of diagnostic measures. Diagnoses, Differential,Differential Diagnoses,Differential Diagnosis
D004890 Erythema Redness of the skin produced by congestion of the capillaries. This condition may result from a variety of disease processes. Erythemas
D005260 Female Females
D006801 Humans Members of the species Homo sapiens. Homo sapiens,Man (Taxonomy),Human,Man, Modern,Modern Man
D000328 Adult A person having attained full growth or maturity. Adults are of 19 through 44 years of age. For a person between 19 and 24 years of age, YOUNG ADULT is available. Adults
D000505 Alopecia Absence of hair from areas where it is normally present. Alopecia, Androgenetic,Baldness,Male Pattern Baldness,Pseudopelade,Alopecia Cicatrisata,Alopecia, Male Pattern,Androgenetic Alopecia,Androgenic Alopecia,Baldness, Male Pattern,Female Pattern Baldness,Hair Loss,Pattern Baldness,Alopecia Cicatrisatas,Alopecia, Androgenic,Alopecias, Androgenic,Androgenic Alopecias,Baldness, Female Pattern,Baldness, Pattern,Hair Losses,Loss, Hair,Losses, Hair,Male Pattern Alopecia
D012507 Sarcoidosis An idiopathic systemic inflammatory granulomatous disorder comprised of epithelioid and multinucleated giant cells with little necrosis. It usually invades the lungs with fibrosis and may also involve lymph nodes, skin, liver, spleen, eyes, phalangeal bones, and parotid glands. Besnier-Boeck Disease,Boeck's Sarcoid,Besnier-Boeck-Schaumann Syndrome,Boeck Disease,Boeck's Disease,Schaumann Disease,Schaumann Syndrome,Schaumann's Syndrome,Besnier Boeck Disease,Besnier Boeck Schaumann Syndrome,Boeck Sarcoid,Boecks Disease,Boecks Sarcoid,Disease, Schaumann,Sarcoid, Boeck's,Sarcoidoses,Schaumann's Syndromes,Syndrome, Besnier-Boeck-Schaumann,Syndrome, Schaumann,Syndrome, Schaumann's
D012871 Skin Diseases Diseases involving the DERMIS or EPIDERMIS. Dermatoses,Skin and Subcutaneous Tissue Disorders,Dermatosis,Skin Disease

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