Epithelioid Granuloma; 3cases with Different Clinical Features

Authors: Masako Namisato*

DOI: 10.23880/cdoaj-16000351

Volume 11, Issue 1

Abstract

Author presents three cases of epithelioid cell granuloma with different pathogenic backgrounds. Two cases were noninfectious and were diagnosed as lupus miliaris disseminatus faciei (LMDF) and sarcoidosis, respectively. The remaining case was infectious and diagnosed as borderline tuberculoid (BT) leprosy. In the histopathology of LMDF, granulomas were observed to be continuous with facial hair follicles. Although various etiologies have been proposed for sarcoidosis, the involvement of Propionibacterium acnes (P. acnes) has been reported. Hair follicles are preferential site for P. acnes colonization. LMDF has been considered to represent a variant of sarcoidosis. The finding that granulomas in LMDF were localized to hair follicles in the present case suggests a possible association between LMDF and sarcoidosis. The histopathological features of BT leprosy showed more intense inflammatory changes than those observed in the two non-infectious granulomatous diseases, reflecting a strong host immune response against Mycobacterium leprae. The histopathological features of these 3 epithelioid cell granulomas with different pathogenic backgrounds are intriguing, as they appear to reflect the individual immune environments responding to different etiologic factors.

Keywords: Epithelioid Granuloma; Mycobacterium leprae; Lupus Miliaris Disseminatus Faciei; Sarcoidosis; Leprosy; Propionibacterium acnes

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