Abstract
Sarcoidosis is a systemic inflammatory disease characterized by the development of noncaseating granulomas in multiple organ systems. Many hematologic malignancies and solid tumors, including melanoma, have been associated with sarcoidosis. We describe the clinical and pathologic findings of a 54-year-old man with melanoma-associated sarcoidosis. In addition, we not only review the literature describing characteristics of other melanoma patients with sarcoidosis, but also the features of melanoma patients with antineoplastic therapy-associated sarcoidosis. Sarcoidosis has been described in 80 melanoma patients; sufficient information for analysis was provided in 39 of these individuals. In 43.6% of individuals (17 out of 39), sarcoidosis was directly associated with melanoma; in 56.4% of oncologic patients (22 out of 39), sarcoidosis was induced by antineoplastic therapy that had been administered for the treatment of their metastatic melanoma. The discovery of melanoma preceded the development of sarcoidosis in 12 of the 17 (70.5%) individuals who did not receive systemic treatment. Pulmonary and/or cutaneous manifestations of sarcoidosis were common among both groups of patients. Most patients did not require treatment for sarcoidosis. Melanoma patients—either following antineoplastic therapy or without systemic treatment—may be at an increased risk to develop sarcoidosis. In antineoplastic therapy naive melanoma patients, a common etiologic factor—such as exposure to ultraviolet light—may play a role in their developing melanoma and sarcoidosis.
Highlights
Sarcoidosis is a systemic inflammatory disease in which noncaseating granulomas develop in multiple organ systems
We describe a man who presented with two skin lesions; they were biopsied and showed melanoma in situ and cutaneous sarcoidosis
Disease-specific skin lesions are usually associated with chronic sarcoidosis and reveal noncaseating granulomas in the dermis, subcutaneous fat, or both [1]
Summary
Sarcoidosis is a systemic inflammatory disease in which noncaseating granulomas develop in multiple organ systems. The lungs and intrathoracic lymph nodes are most commonly affected. Manifestations of sarcoidosis can involve other organs as well as the central nervous system. Hematologic malignancies and solid tumors, including melanoma, have been associated with sarcoidosis. Oncologic patients have an increased risk of developing sarcoidosis and sarcoidosis patients have an increased risk of developing a malignancy. Sarcoidosis and cancer have been diagnosed concurrently or within 12 months of one another. Systemic antineoplastic therapy may have contributed to the subsequent development of sarcoidosis
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