DISSEMINATED LICHENOID TYPE CUTANEOUS SARCOIDOSIS: A CHALLENGE TO DIAGNOSE AND MANAGE

Ieva Turskė¹, Monika Marta Macejevska¹, Jūratė Grigaitienė^{1, 2}, Rūta Gancevičienė^{1, 2}

         ¹Center of Dermatovenereology, Vilnius University Hospital Santaros Klinikos, Vilnius, Lithuania

²Center of Dermatovenereology, Clinic of Infectious and Chest Diseases, Dermatovenereology and Allergology, Vilnius University Faculty of Medicine, Vilnius, Lithuania

ABSTRACT

Sarcoidosis is a rare chronic inflammatory disease of unknown origin that can affect multiple organs of the body to a varying extent and degree. It seems to be provoked by an immune reaction to different triggers, such as infections, dust or chemicals.  Sarcoidal skin involvement is the second most common manifestation of sarcoidosis, respiratory system being the most common. Ocular involvement appears even rarer. To our knowledge, there is scarce evidence of combined cutaneous and ocular sarcoidosis, sparing respiratory system. For this reason, we share a case of 79-year-old male with widespread abrupt cutaneous sarcoidosis sparing the lungs. This case illustrates that in cases of first- line treatment failure and patient’s comorbidities that limit the choice of second-line treatment, phototherapy could be applied. Combined UVA and UVB (COMBI) phototherapy is as effective as UVA1 phototherapy.

Keywords: sarcoidosis, skin, phototherapy.