Skip to main content
NCBI home page
The Western Journal of Medicine logoLink to The Western Journal of Medicine
. 1992 May;156(5):544–547.

Sarcoidosis presenting with an unusual erythematous rash and persistent hypercalcemia.

B L Barney 1
PMCID: PMC1003323  PMID: 1595285

Abstract

Sarcoidosis is a multisystem disease that often presents with constitutional symptoms and ocular and skin manifestations. The chest roentgenogram may show no abnormalities or only diffuse interstitial disease. The serum calcium level is uncommonly persistently elevated and responds rapidly to low-dose corticosteroid therapy. The level of 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D is often elevated, and the level of parathyroid hormone is almost always suppressed. Skin manifestations vary considerably and may appear in an unusual fashion. A skin biopsy may often be essential in the diagnosis of sarcoidosis.

Full text

PDF
544

Images in this article

545Image
on p.545
545Image
on p.545
547Image
on p.547

Selected References

These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.

  1. Adams J. S., Gacad M. A. Characterization of 1 alpha-hydroxylation of vitamin D3 sterols by cultured alveolar macrophages from patients with sarcoidosis. J Exp Med. 1985 Apr 1;161(4):755–765. doi: 10.1084/jem.161.4.755. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  2. Barbour G. L., Coburn J. W., Slatopolsky E., Norman A. W., Horst R. L. Hypercalcemia in an anephric patient with sarcoidosis: evidence for extrarenal generation of 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D. N Engl J Med. 1981 Aug 20;305(8):440–443. doi: 10.1056/NEJM198108203050807. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  3. Beacham B. E., Schuldenfrei J., Julka S. S. Sarcoidosis presenting with erythema multiforme-like cutaneous lesions. Cutis. 1984 May;33(5):461–463. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  4. Benabe J. E., Martinez-Maldonado M. Hypercalcemic nephropathy. Arch Intern Med. 1978 May;138(5):777–779. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  5. Elgart M. L. Cutaneous lesions of sarcoidosis. Prim Care. 1978 Jun;5(2):249–262. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  6. Fong Y. W., Sharma O. P. Pruritic maculopapular skin lesions in sarcoidosis. An unusual clinical presentation. Arch Dermatol. 1975 Mar;111(3):362–364. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  7. Goldstein R. A., Israel H. L., Becker K. L., Moore C. F. The infrequency of hypercalcemia in sarcoidosis. Am J Med. 1971 Jul;51(1):21–30. doi: 10.1016/0002-9343(71)90320-2. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  8. Greer K. E., Harman L. E., Jr, Kayne A. L. Unusual cutaneous manifestations of sarcoidosis. South Med J. 1977 Jun;70(6):666–668. doi: 10.1097/00007611-197706000-00009. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  9. Gupta A. K., Haberman H. F., From G. L., Lipa M. Sarcoidosis with extensive cutaneous ulceration. Unusual clinical presentation. Dermatologica. 1987;174(3):135–139. doi: 10.1159/000249005. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  10. Insogna K. L., Dreyer B. E., Mitnick M., Ellison A. F., Broadus A. E. Enhanced production rate of 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D in sarcoidosis. J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 1988 Jan;66(1):72–75. doi: 10.1210/jcem-66-1-72. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  11. JAMES D. G. Dermatological aspects of sarcoidosis. Q J Med. 1959 Jan;28(109):108–124. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  12. James D. G., Neville E., Siltzbach L. E. A worldwide review of sarcoidosis. Ann N Y Acad Sci. 1976;278:321–334. doi: 10.1111/j.1749-6632.1976.tb47043.x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  13. James D. G., Turiaf J., Hosoda Y., Williams W. J., Israel H. L., Douglas A. C., Siltzbach L. E. Description of sarcoidosis: Report of the Subcommittee on Classification and Definition. Ann N Y Acad Sci. 1976;278:742–742. doi: 10.1111/j.1749-6632.1976.tb47090.x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  14. MAYOCK R. L., BERTRAND P., MORRISON C. E., SCOTT J. H. MANIFESTATIONS OF SARCOIDOSIS. ANALYSIS OF 145 PATIENTS, WITH A REVIEW OF NINE SERIES SELECTED FROM THE LITERATURE. Am J Med. 1963 Jul;35:67–89. doi: 10.1016/0002-9343(63)90165-7. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  15. Mason R. S., Frankel T., Chan Y. L., Lissner D., Posen S. Vitamin D conversion by sarcoid lymph node homogenate. Ann Intern Med. 1984 Jan;100(1):59–61. doi: 10.7326/0003-4819-100-1-59. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  16. Minus H. R., Grimes P. E. Cutaneous manifestations of sarcoidosis in blacks. Cutis. 1983 Oct;32(4):361-3, 372. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  17. Muther R. S., McCarron D. A., Bennett W. M. Renal manifestations of sarcoidosis. Arch Intern Med. 1981 Apr;141(5):643–645. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  18. Obenauf C. D., Shaw H. E., Sydnor C. F., Klintworth G. K. Sarcoidosis and its ophthalmic manifestations. Am J Ophthalmol. 1978 Nov;86(5):648–655. doi: 10.1016/0002-9394(78)90184-8. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  19. Rosenbaum J. T. Uveitis. An internist's view. Arch Intern Med. 1989 May;149(5):1173–1176. doi: 10.1001/archinte.149.5.1173. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  20. Sandler L. M., Winearls C. G., Fraher L. J., Clemens T. L., Smith R., O'Riordan J. L. Studies of the hypercalcaemia of sarcoidosis: effect of steroids and exogenous vitamin D3 on the circulating concentrations of 1,25-dihydroxy vitamin D3. Q J Med. 1984 Spring;53(210):165–180. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  21. Sharma O. P. Cutaneous sarcoidosis: clinical features and management. Chest. 1972 Apr;61(4):320–325. doi: 10.1378/chest.61.4.320. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  22. Stewart A. F., Horst R., Deftos L. J., Cadman E. C., Lang R., Broadus A. E. Biochemical evaluation of patients with cancer-associated hypercalcemia: evidence for humoral and nonhumoral groups. N Engl J Med. 1980 Dec 11;303(24):1377–1383. doi: 10.1056/NEJM198012113032401. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  23. WIGLEY J. E. M., MUSSO L. A. A case of sarcoidosis with erythrodermic lesions. Treatment with calciferol. Br J Dermatol. 1951 Nov;63(11):398–406. doi: 10.1111/j.1365-2133.1951.tb13677.x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

Articles from Western Journal of Medicine are provided here courtesy of BMJ Publishing Group

RESOURCES