1. Systemic sarcoidosis presenting as a granulomatous tattoo reaction secondary to interferon-alpha treatment for chronic hepatitis C and review of the literature.
- Author
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Nawras A, Alsolaiman MM, Mehboob S, Bartholomew C, and Maliakkal B
- Subjects
- Adult, Antiviral Agents therapeutic use, Female, Granuloma chemically induced, Humans, Interferon-alpha therapeutic use, Sarcoidosis chemically induced, Skin Diseases chemically induced, Skin Diseases immunology, Tattooing, Antiviral Agents adverse effects, Granuloma immunology, Hepatitis C, Chronic drug therapy, Interferon-alpha adverse effects, Sarcoidosis immunology
- Abstract
Sarcoidosis is a multisystem granulomatous disease of unknown etiology. Immune alterations involving heightened T-helper-1 responses have been proposed to play a major role in the pathogenesis of sarcoidosis. Interferon-alpha therapy and hepatitis C infection have been implicated in the development of a variety of autoimmune diseases. However, despite the wide use of IFN-alpha therapy for hepatitis C, only a few cases of sarcoidosis have been reported in this context. We report the case of a 42-year-old white female with hepatitis C, who developed systemic sarcoidosis shortly after therapy with IFN-alpha2b. The disease was heralded by the appearance of a cutaneous sarcoid/ foreign body granulomatous reaction at the site of an old tattoo. The sarcoidosis responded to a short course of oral prednisone therapy. We also reviewed the other reported cases and discussed the possible immunological mechanisms involved.
- Published
- 2002
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