Korean J Dermatol.
2016 May;54(4):255-260.
Clinical Characteristics of Cutaneous Sarcoidosis in the Past Decade
- Affiliations
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- 1Department of Dermatology, College of Medicine, The Catholic University of Korea, Seoul, Korea. jylee@catholic.ac.kr
Abstract
- BACKGROUND
Sarcoidosis is a multisystem granulomatous disease of unknown cause that commonly affects the lungs, but frequently involves the skin. Sarcoidosis occurs worldwide and affects all ages and races that is more frequent away from the equator. The clinical presentation and severity of the disease vary between different ethnicities and races.
OBJECTIVE
The purpose of this study was to investigate the clinical spectrum and outcome of cutaneous sarcoidosis in Korean patients and to compare them with other ethnic groups.
METHODS
A total of 33 patients diagnosed by histologic examination from January 2003 to August 2013 with cutaneous sarcoidosis were enrolled. The clinical features were obtained by reviewing medical records, clinical photographs, and radiological images.
RESULTS
The male to female ratio was 1:1.8, and the distribution of sarcoidosis by age showed peaks at the fourth decade, which was younger than other studies conducted in Korea. In our study, the most common cutaneous lesions were nodules (42%) while popular lesions were more commonly observed in the studies conducted in Taiwan and Spain. Systemic organ involvement was observed in 11 patients (34%) in our study but was observed in more than 60% of the patients in other ethnic groups.
CONCLUSION
In the present study, cutaneous sarcoidosis was characterized by a marked female predominance and by high frequency in the fourth decade. Extracutaneous involvement was lower compared with other ethnic groups. The clinical spectrum of sarcoidosis in Koreans differed from other ethnic groups.
