Associate Professor, Dermatology & Internal Medicine University of Pennsylvania University of Pennsylvania Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Sarcoidosis is a multiorgan inflammatory disease characterized by the development of granulomas in multiple organs. The vast majority of patients have lung disease, but skin involvement is one of the most common extrapulmonary sites of sarcoidosis, with 30% of patients impacted. Skin involvement may precede internal involvement, occur concurrently, or in rare cases may be the most severely impacted organ. Dermatologists are essential in diagnosing sarcoidosis, and as the skin disease can be severe and have significant quality of life impacts, dermatologists should be familiar with managing cutaneous granulomatous inflammation. Treatment options range from local treatments (topical or intralesional steroids), to anti-inflammatory therapies (hydroxychloroquine, tetracycline-class antibiotics), to immunosuppressive therapies (steroids, methotrexate, TNF-inhibitors), with a nascent focus on the potential role of JAK inhibitors in managing patients with recalcitrant disease.
Learning Objectives:
Recognize and diagnose patients with sarcoidosis
Understand when and how to evaluate patients for systemic disease
Develop an approach to treating patients with cutaneous sarcoidosis