Sarcoma-associated sarcoid reaction: Report of cutaneous sarcoid reaction in a patient with liposarcoma

Sarcoidosis is a systemic inflammatory condition in which noncaseating epithelioid cell granulomas appear within one or several body sites. Sarcoid reaction (also referred to as sarcoidal or sarcoid-like reaction) occurs in patients who do not fulfill the diagnostic criteria for systemic sarcoidosis but present with similar clinical and histological features. As sarcoma-associated sarcoid reactions are rare, we describe the features of sarcoid reaction that developed in a man with liposarcoma and summarize reports of other oncology patients with sarcoma-associated sarcoid reactions. A 68-year-old man with retroperitoneal liposarcoma presented for evaluation of erythematous dermal plaques on his left leg. Microscopic examination of a tissue specimen revealed multiple epithelioid granulomas in the superficial and mid-reticular dermis. Correlation of the clinical presentation and histopathologic findings established a diagnosis of liposarcoma-associated cutaneous sarcoid reaction. Sarcoid reactions have been described in only seven individuals with sarcoma, including two patients with leiomyosarcoma and one patient with either carcinosarcoma, Kaposi sarcoma, liposarcoma, malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumor, rhabdosarcoma, or synovial sarcoma. Sarcoidal granulomas most commonly develop within the locoregional draining lymph nodes. Sarcoid reactions may also affect other organs, such as the lungs, skin, and spleen.