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.
2009 S. Karger AG, Basel.