Original Paper

Sarcoidosis and Melanoma: A Referral Center Study of 1,199 Cases
Pascal Seve^a, Anne Marie Schott^b, Michel Pavic^d, Christiane Broussolle^a, Lila Gilis^a, Luc Thomas^c

Departments of
^aInternal Medicine,
^bEpidemiology and
^cDermatology, Hospices civils de Lyon, Université Lyon 1, and
^dDepartment of Internal Medicine, Hôpital d’instruction des armées Desgenettes, Lyon, France

Address of Corresponding Author

Dermatology 2009;219:25-31 (DOI: 10.1159/000213245)

  Key Words

• Ipilimumab
• Interferon α
• Malignant melanoma
• Sarcoidosis

  Abstract

Background: Case reports and small short case series have described patients with sarcoidosis and melanoma. Objectives: To examine the relation between sarcoidosis and melanoma. Methods: Computerized search of all patients seen at our department of dermatology between 1998 and 2007 and review of the literature using a Medline search from 1985 to June 2008. Results: We identified 7 cases in our population of 1,199 melanoma inpatients. Including these cases, 20 cases of sarcoidosis have been described in melanoma patients. Fifteen patients had their sarcoidosis diagnosed after melanoma. In 7 cases, sarcoidosis was related to immunotherapy. Sarcoidosis presented mainly as pulmonary disease without severe organ involvement, with a benign evolution. Conclusion: Our referral center study shows a prevalence of sarcoidosis of 0.58% among melanoma inpatients. Clinicians should be aware of the possibility that sarcoidosis may initially manifest itself in melanoma patients, especially after treatment with immunotherapy, and mimic metastatic disease.

Copyright © 2009 S. Karger AG, Basel

  Author Contacts

Prof. Luc Thomas
Department of Dermatology, Hôtel-Dieu
1, place de l’Hôpital
FR–69288 Lyon Cedex 02 (France)
Tel. +33 4 72 41 30 60, Fax +33 4 72 41 31 32, E-Mail luc.thomas@chu-lyon.fr

  Article Information

Received: November 26, 2008
Accepted: January 28, 2009
Published online: April 10, 2009
Number of Print Pages : 7
Number of Figures : 1, Number of Tables : 2, Number of References : 38