Systemic, cardiovascular issues more likely in Black patients with cutaneous sarcoidosis

Black patients who presented with cutaneous sarcoidosis had an increased risk for systemic disease and cardiovascular involvement compared with other racial groups, according to findings presented at Maui Derm for Dermatologists.

“Sarcoidosis is a disease characterized by systemic granulomas with an unclear pathogenesis, but known higher incidence in Black patients than white,” Bina Kassamali, BA, and colleagues wrote. They added that “patients may already have unrecognized systemic organ involvement at the time of sarcoid diagnosis.”

Kassamali and colleagues conducted a retrospective chart review from the Research Patient Data Registry from 50 patients — 24 white, nine Black, nine Hispanic and eight self-identified in another racial group — diagnosed with cutaneous sarcoidosis who had no previously established extracutaneous disease.

Black patients who presented with cutaneous sarcoidosis were 31.5% more likely to have systemic involvement compared with all other patients at time of presentation (P < .05); 77.8% of Black patients had systemic involvement compared with 46.3% of all other patients.

More Black patients had disease in one extracutaneous organ (33.3% vs. 12.2%) and two or more extracutaneous organs (44.4% vs. 34.1%) compared with all other patients. Cardiovascular involvement only occurred in Black patients (28.6% vs. 0%).

“Our data suggest there may be differences in the extent of organ involvement across racial categories in patients presenting with cutaneous sarcoidosis,” the researchers wrote.