Cutaneous Sarcoidosis Encountered in a Patient with Major Depressive Disorder – A Case Report

Abstract

Sarcoidosis was characterised by Scadding and Mitchell as an idiopathic multisystem disorder characterised by the formation of non-caseating epithelioid cell tubercles in the organs or tissues that are affected by the condition.[1] The disease process is extensive, with varying symptoms and an unpredictability in its progression. Skin manifestations are present in 20–35% of individuals with systemic sarcoidosis, but 25% of patients with cutaneous sarcoidosis do not have any systemic illness.[2] Psychological symptoms are more prevalent in sarcoidosis patients than in the general population. Between 18% and 66% of sarcoidosis patients have depression, while between 31% and 33% have anxiety.[3] When treating these patients, clinicians should look for signs of depression and, if found, consider a therapeutic trial of antidepressants and/or psychosocial interventions. Management of sarcoidosis is done by a multidisciplinary team. The most common forms of treatment for sarcoidosis are immunosuppressive medicine, such as corticosteroids used orally or topically, methotrexate, and the TNF-alpha inhibitors adalimumab and infliximab.[4]