A middle-age woman with subcutaneous plaque and hilar adenopathies

Abstract

Subcutaneous sarcoidosis (SS) is an unusual and specific subtype of nodular sarcoidosis 1. The presence of SS with no elements of systemic manifestations is a rare condition: it is reported only in 1.4% to 6% of patients with systemic sarcoidosis, with the trunk being the most predilected area. Such cases with rare presentation are challenging for physicians because it can mimic several chronic infections, amyloidosis, hypothyroidism, lysosomal storage diseases and other conditions. Typical imaging (specially bilateral hilar adenopathies), histological exam and laboratory findings are the baseline to establish the diagnosis of sarcoidosis. In our case, the presence of subcutaneous manifestations avoided the performance of invasive procedures to get confirmation from other target organs: The epithelioid cells granulommas in subcutaneous fat and the representative radiological images were enough features to make the certain diagnosis. The first-line therapy for SS is oral steroids (20–40 mgr/day) with responses observed only 4–8 weeks after initiation of the treatment2. Prognosis of SS is good with spontaneous remission in some cases; however, when granulommas or fibrosis involves vital organs sarcoidosis can be life-threatening. Physicians should consider diagnosis of SS in patients with clinical suspicious history as sometimes skin manifestations are the first sign of systemic presentation of disease