Clinical course, particularities, and possibility of etiologic characterization of sarcoid-type granulomas of the skin.

Abstract

Granulomatous inflammation is a well recognized environmentally produced skin disease. Four cases of sarcoid-type skin granuloma associated with foreign materials introduced into the skin are reported. In two of the cases, caused by windscreen glass debris and gunpowder, there were multiple lesions which revealed a tumor-like appearance several years after the accident. In a third case, associated with occupational exposure to cork dust, the granulomatous lesions was unique and formerly misdiagnosed as malignant. The skin lesions caused by gunpowder and cork dust coexisted with lung lesions caused by the inhalation of the same materials, which were identified in the histological sections with appropriate methods. The fourth case, caused by sea-urchin spines, revealed a progressive reduction in the latency period between the spine injury and granuloma formation. The relationship between the skin and lung lesions are discussed as well as the role of the foreign materials within the lesions.