|
DRUG REVIEW |
|
| Year : 2006 | Volume
: 51
| Issue : 3 | Page : 217-220 |
|
| Infectious granulomatous dermatitis: A clinico pathological study |
|
|
Amanjit Bal1, Harsh Mohan1, GP Dhami2
1 Department of Pathology, Govt. Medical College and Hospital, Sector 32-A, Chandigarh - 160 030, India
2 Department of Dermatology, Govt. Medical College and Hospital, Sector 32-A, Chandigarh - 160 030, India
Correspondence Address:
Harsh Mohan
Department of Pathology, Govt. Medical College and Hospital, Sector 32-A, Chandigarh - 160 030
India
 Source of Support: None, Conflict of Interest: None  | Check |
DOI: 10.4103/0019-5154.27993
|
|
 Abstract | | |
Granulomatous dermatitis frequently presents a diagnostic challenge to dermatopathologists as an identical histologic picture is produced by several causes. Present study aims at classifying infectious granulomatous dermatitis based on etiology and morphology of granulomas, and to highlight significance of clinical correlation in making a specific diagnosis. A retrospective analysis of skin biopsies was done and cases of infectious granulomatous dermatitis diagnosed on histopathological examination were retrieved. A total of 586 cases of granulomatous dermatitis were retrieved; out of these, on the basis of clinico-pathological findings, 515 cases (87.8%) were categorized as infectious granulomatous dermatitis. The age of the patients ranged from 7-80 years with a male to female ratio of 1.5:1. Majority of the cases were of leprosy (373 cases, 72.4%) which were further classified into sub-groups according to Ridley and Jopling. Second largest group was of cutaneous tuberculosis including tuberculids (119 cases, 23.1%). Fungal dermatitis was diagnosed in 17 cases (3.3%) and 6 cases (1.16%) were diagnosed as post kala-azar dermal leishmaniaisis based on the lympho-histiocytic and plasma cell inflitrate. Infections form an important cause of granulomatous dermatitis with leprosy and tuberculosis as the leading causes. Adequate clinical data and workup in combination with pathological resources can help in elucidation of specific etiology and good clinicopathologic correlation.
Keywords: Granulomatous, dermatitis
How to cite this article:
Bal A, Mohan H, Dhami G P. Infectious granulomatous dermatitis: A clinico pathological study. Indian J Dermatol 2006;51:217-20 |
How to cite this URL:
Bal A, Mohan H, Dhami G P. Infectious granulomatous dermatitis: A clinico pathological study. Indian J Dermatol [serial online] 2006 [cited 2023 Oct 4];51:217-20. Available from: https://www.e-ijd.org/text.asp?2006/51/3/217/27993 |
| Introduction | |  |
Granulomatous dermatitis is a pattern of reaction to various organic and inorganic antigens. According to the current concept, 'granuloma' is defined as 'a focal chronic inflammatory response to tissue injury characterized by collection of activated histiocytes, epithelioid cells and multinucleate giant cells that may or may not be rimmed by lymphocytes and/or show central necrosis'.[1]
Granulomatous dermatitis frequently poses a diagnostic challenge to dermatopathologists, since an identical histologic picture is produced by several causes, and, conversely, a single cause may produce varied histologic patterns.[2],[3] Moreover it is difficult to present a completely satisfactory classification of granulomatous dermatitis. Present study aims at classifying infectious granulomatous dermatitis based on etiology and morphology of granulomas, and to highlight significance of clinical correlation in making a specific diagnosis.
| Materials and Methods | | |
A retrospective analysis of skin biopsies received in the Department of Pathology, Government Medical College, Chandigarh over a period of 7 years was done and cases of infectious granulomatous dermatitis diagnosed on histopathological examination were retrieved.
Clinical informations like appearance and duration of lesion and clinical diagnosis were recorded. In each case, haematoxylin and eosin stained paraffin sections along with special stains like PAS, Gomori's Methenamine lepra, Ziehl Neelsen (ZN), Giemsa, reticulin etc. were studied.
| Observations | | |
A total of 586 cases of granulomatous dermatitis were retrieved. Out of these, on the basis of clinico-pathological findings, 515 cases (87.8%) were categorized as infectious granulomatous dermatitis. The age of the patients ranged from 7-80 years with a male to female ratio of 1.5:1. Cases included in infectious granulomatous dermatitis are presented in [Table - 1].
Majority of the cases were of leprosy (373 cases, 72.4%). This group was classified into sub-groups according to Ridley and Jopling. Biopsies with well-formed epithelioid granulomas with rim of lymphocytes distributed throughout the dermis, especially around adnexal structures and neurovascular bundles and encroaching upon basal layer of epidermis, were classified as tuberculoid leprosy (TT; 27 cases, 7.2%); cases with granulomas having fewer lymphocytes and more number of foreign body giant cells and not encroaching upon epidermis were classified as borderline tuberculoid leprosy (BT; 206 cases, 55.2%, [Figure - 1]); cases having granulomas rich in foamy histiocytes and few epithelioid cells were grouped into borderline lepromatous leprosy (BL; 56 cases, 15%); and cases with diffuse sheets of foamy histiocytes with Grenz zone were classified as lepromatous leprosy (LL; 67 cases, 17.9%, [Figure - 2]). In addition, cases with type I and type II reaction were also seen (erythema nodosum leprosum i.e., ENL 8 cases, 2.1%, and downgrading/upgrading reaction 9 cases, 2.4%). Lepra stain was positive in 136 cases (36.4%): 123 cases of BL and LL, 7 cases of BT, and 6 cases of ENL.
The second largest group was of cutaneous tuberculosis including tuberculids (119 cases, 23.1%). This group was further classified as lupus vulgaris (60 cases, 50.4%, [Figure - 3]) having well formed epithelioid cell granulomas with or without caseation necrosis in the dermis, scrofuloderma (46 cases, 38.6%) showing surface ulceration and admixture of neutrophilic abscesses and tuberculosis verrucosa cutis (3 cases, 2.5%) with marked epidermal hyperplasia and neutrophilic abscesses in the epidermis. Tuberculids were classified as lichen scrofulosorum (6 cases, 5%) with perifollicular inflammatory reaction admixed with granulomas; papulonecrotic tuberculid (3 cases, 2.5%) showing vasculitis and coagulative necrosis in dermis; and, erythema induratum (1 cases, 0.8%) having granulomatous panniculitis. Ziehl Neelsen (ZN) stain for acid fast bacilli was positive in 6 cases (5%) only (3 cases (5%) of lupus vulgaris and 3 cases (6.5%) of scrofuloderma).
Fungal dermatitis was diagnosed in 17 cases (3.3%). They were categorized as sporotrichosis (6 cases, [Figure - 4]), mycetoma (4 cases), tinea (3 cases), protothecosis (2 cases) and one case each of chromoblastomycosis and mucor. Six cases (1.16%) were diagnosed as post kala-a-zar dermal leishmaniaisis based on the lympho-histiocytic and plasma cell inflitrate. LD bodies were identified in 3 (50%) cases [Figure - 5] only.
| Discussion | | |
Granulomatous inflammation is a chronic inflammatory process in response to an antigen. There is considerable variation in the microscopic appearance of granulomas producing different morphologic pictures within the same biopsy or from one lesion to another.
It is difficult to present a completely satisfactory classification of granulomatous dermatitis. It has been previously classified on the basis of pathophysiology, etiology, immunology, and morphology.[2] In the present study, granulomatous dermatitis was classified using a combination of etiology and morphology of granuloma.
Infectious granulomatous dermatitis was subclassified on the clinical impression, location of granuloma, morphology of granuloma and identification of infectious agent with the help of special stains. Majority of the cases (72.4%) were of leprosy and of these borderline tuberculoid formed the largest subgroup of Ridley and Jopling (55.2%). Granulomas of tuberculoid (TT) and borderline tuberculoid (BT) leprosy are epithelioid granulomas with Langhans' and foreign body giant cells and thus requires differentiation from sarcoidosis and non-caseating tuberculous granulomas.[4],[5] In such cases lepra stain is not of much help because of sparse bacilli.[6] In the present study, only 6 cases of BT and none of TT were positive for lepra bacilli. However, location of granulomas around neurovascular bundle, erector pili muscle and adenexa in combination with clinical picture are helpful. Borderline lepromatous (BL) and lepromatous leprosy (LL) are characterised by histiocytic granulomas and are strongly positive for lepra bacilli, thus posing no difficulty in diagnosis. Clinically lesions of post kala-a-zar dermal leishmaniasis (PKDL) may mimic those of LL causing diagnostic confusion.[7] Histopathological examination for type of infiltrate and Giemsa stain for LD bodies can resolve the problem. It is usually difficult to detect LD bodies in paraffin sections, but plasma cell-histiocytic inflitrate can suggest the diagnosis. In the present study LD bodies were identified in 50% cases only.
The next frequently encountered lesion was of cutaneous tuberculosis. Different clinical patterns like lupus vulgaris, scrofuloderma and tuberculosis verrucosa cutis represent reinfection and reactivation of tuberculosis.[8] Caseation necrosis in an epithelioid granuloma is diagnostic, but its absence does not rule out diagnosis of tuberculosis.[9] Demonstration of acid fast bacilli by ZN stain is specific; however, they are not detected with ease and literature has reported 13-15% positivity in lupus vulgaris (5% in present study) and upto 50% positivity in scrofuloderma (6.5% in present study).[10],[11] Tuberculids represent the hypersensitivity reaction to tubercular antigen and cannot be diagnosed on morphology alone. They are diagnosed if associated tuberculous infection is present elsewhere in the body. Lupus miliaris disseminatum faciei morphologically resembles cutaneous tuberculosis because of extensive areas of caseation necrosis, thus requires clinical correlation for diagnosis.[12]
Fungal infections are characterised by mixed/suppurative granulomas.[13] Demonstration of fungal spores/hyphae or asteroid body with central spore with the help of special stains like PAS and Gomori's methenamine is confirmatory.[14] In the present study fungal spores were identified in all but 3 cases of sporotrichosis. In these cases type of infiltrate was suggestive and diagnosis was later confirmed by culture.
| Conclusions | | |
Infections form an important cause of granulomatous dermatitis with leprosy and tuberculosis as the leading etiology. There is a significant overlap in histopathologic picture of different granulomatous reactions. Thus, morphology alone is seldom specific and cannot be used as diagnostic tool for identification of specific diseases. Adequate clinical data and workup in combination with pathological resources can help in elucidation of specific etiology and good clinico-pathologic correlation.
| References | | |
| 1. | Hirish BC, Jhonson WC. Concepts of granulomatous inflammation. Int J Dermatol 1984;23:90-100.  |
| 2. | Rabinowitz LO, Zaim MT. A clinicopathological approach to granulomatous dermatoses. J Am Acad Dermatol 1996;35:588-600. [PUBMED] [FULLTEXT] |
| 3. | Mohan H, Bal A. Non-infectious granulomatous dermatitis: A clinicopathological aproach to diagnosis. Indian J Dermatol 2004;49:1-8.  |
| 4. | Hirish BC, Jhonson WC. Pathology of granulomatous diseases: Epithelioid granulomas, Part II. Int J Dermatol 1984;23:306-13. |
| 5. | Young RJ 3rd, Gilson RT, Yanase D, Elston DM. Cutaneous sarcoidosis. Int J Dermatol 2001;40:249-53. [PUBMED] [FULLTEXT] |
| 6. | Cree IA, Smith WC, Beck JS. A quantitative study of relationship between systemic and histological parameters of immunity in individual leprosy patients. Int J Lepr Other Mycobact Dis 1990;58:347-52. [PUBMED] |
| 7. | Chakrabarti A, Kumar B, Das A, Mahajan VK. Atypical post-kala-azar dermal leishmaniasis resembling histoid leprosy. Lepr Rev 1997;68:247-51. [PUBMED] |
| 8. | Farina MC, Gegundez MI, Pique E, Esteban J, Martin L, Requena L, et al . Cutaneous tuberculosis: A clinical, histopathologic, and bacteriologic study. J Am Acad Dermatol 1995;33:433-40. |
| 9. | Sehgal VN, Jain MK, Srivastava G. Changing patterns of cutaneous tuberculosis; A prospective study. Int J Dermatol 1989;28:231-6. [PUBMED] |
| 10. | Marcoval J, Servitje O, Moreno A, Jucgla A, Peyri J. Lupus vulgaris. J Am Acad Dermatol 1992;26:404-7. [PUBMED] |
| 11. | Sehgal VN, Wagh SA. Cutaneous tuberculosis: Current concepts. Int J Dermatol 1990;29:237-52. [PUBMED] |
| 12. | van de Scheur MR, van der Waal RI, Starink TM. Lupus miliaris disseminatus faciei: A distinctive rosacea-like syndrome and not a granulomatous form of rosacea. Dermatology 2003;2006:120-3. |
| 13. | Hirish BC, Jhonson WC. Pathology of granulomatous diseases: Mixed inflammatory granulomas. Int J Dermatol 1984;23:585-97. |
| 14. | Hiruma M, Kawada A, Noda T, Yamazaki M, Ishibashi A. Tissue response in sporotrichosis: Light and electron microscopy studies. Mycoses 1992;35:35-41. [PUBMED] |
[Figure - 1], [Figure - 2], [Figure - 3], [Figure - 4], [Figure - 5]
[Table - 1] |
|
| This article has been cited by | | 1 |
CLINICO-HISTOPATHOLOGICAL CORRELATION OF GRANULOMATOUS LESIONS OF SKIN: A RETROSPECTIVE ANALYSIS OF 111 CASES |
|
| Rajani Anand, Pratima Khare, Renu Gupta, Avni Bhatnagar | | INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH. 2022; : 47 | | [Pubmed] | [DOI] | | | 2 |
Pattern of granulomatous skin lesions in a tertiary care centre of western Uttar Pradesh |
|
| Ranjan Agrawal, Neharica Joshi, Anjana Arya, Nitesh Mohan, Bharat Chandra Choudhary | | Indian Journal of Pathology and Oncology. 2021; 8(1): 17 | | [Pubmed] | [DOI] | | | 3 |
The histopathological approach to granulomatous skin lesions |
|
| Nidhi Goel, Venus Khanna | | IP Journal of Diagnostic Pathology and Oncology. 2020; 5(1): 57 | | [Pubmed] | [DOI] | | | 4 |
Clinicopathological features and the practice of diagnosing infectious cutaneous granulomas in Egypt |
|
| Mohamed El-Khalawany, Ibrahim Meraag, Bayoumi Eassa, Hussein Hassab El-Naby | | International Journal of Infectious Diseases. 2011; | | [VIEW] | [DOI] | |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Article Access Statistics | | | Viewed | 18624 | | | Printed | 351 | | | Emailed | 4 | | | PDF Downloaded | 449 | | | Comments | [Add] | | | Cited by others | 4 | | |
|
|
