Liver Cirrhosis Research Today is a free monthly online journal that collates and summarizes the latest research about Liver Cirrhosis, including details on alcohol, treatment, drugs, effects, causes.

Cutaneous sarcoidosis and primary biliary cirrhosis: A chance association or related diseases?

Kishor S, Turner ML, Borg BB, Kleiner DE, Cowen EW

Department of Dermatology, Eastern Virginia Medical School, Norfolk, Virginia, USA.

Sarcoidosis and primary biliary cirrhosis (PBC) are thought to be two distinct disorders of unknown origin. However, both are characterized by hepatic granuloma formation and may also manifest cutaneous granulomatous inflammation. In this report, we describe two cases of cutaneous sarcoidosis occurring in the setting of PBC and review 7 additional cases from the literature of granulomatous skin disease associated with PBC. Although the pathogenesis of both sarcoidosis and PBC remains elusive, the simultaneous occurrence of these uncommon diseases suggests a common pathway may contribute to granuloma formation in both disorders.

Published 28 January 2008 in J Am Acad Dermatol, 58(2): 326-35.
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