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Sarcoidosis presenting with ichthyosis in a preschool Afro‐Caribbean child
Author(s) -
Shalders K.,
Abdullah A.,
Thomson M.,
Rajpar S.,
Ryder C.
Publication year - 2007
Publication title -
british journal of dermatology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.304
H-Index - 179
eISSN - 1365-2133
pISSN - 0007-0963
DOI - 10.1111/j.1365-2133.2007.07876_17.x
Subject(s) - sarcoidosis , ichthyosis , medicine , dermatology , systemic disease , cutaneous sarcoidosis , pathology , disease
Ichthyosiform sarcoidosis is a rare cutaneous manifestation of sarcoidosis in children, which clinically and microscopically appears as ichthyosis vulgaris. We present a 2‐year‐old Afro‐Caribbean boy with an incidental finding of mild ichthyosis, who subsequently developed red eyes and polyarthritis associated with worsening ichthyosis. His mother had a history of uveitis, secondary to sarcoidosis. A skin biopsy was performed on the child and confirmed the diagnosis of systemic sarcoidosis almost a year after initial presentation. Cutaneous sarcoidosis in childhood is rare. In preschool children the triad of arthritis, uveitis and a rash is well documented and is often associated with aggressive disease, with patients requiring long‐term immunosuppression. 1 Acquired ichthyosis is uncommon and is usually considered to be a marker of underlying disorders in adults, such as malignancy, connective tissue disorders, endocrine abnormalities, nutritional deficiency, sarcoidosis or a drug‐related phenomenon. 2 Ichthyosis in young children is not always primary in nature and a thorough systems enquiry, follow‐up and further investigation should be considered if there are additional features suggestive of a possible underlying cause. References 1 Hunt SJ, O’Toole E, Philips W et al . A case of childhood sarcoidosis. Clin Exp Dermatol 2002; 27 :448–50. 2 Cather JC, Cohen PR. Ichthyosiform sarcoidosis. J Am Acad Dermatol 1999; 40 :862–5.