Granuloma faciale: Is it a new indication for pimecrolimus? A case report

Granuloma faciale is a benign, chronic disease which is characterized by red-brown facial nodules and plaques. This quite rare disease is mostly seen in middle-aged males. A 41-year-old female patient consulted our department with a facial lesion of 4 years' duration. A dermatological examination revealed a pink-brown plaque of 1x5 cm over the nasal dorsum extending to the left malar region. Her personal and family histories were unremarkable. The routine hemogram and biochemical tests were normal, antinuclear antibody was negative. In the histopathological examination of the biopsy material which was taken from the lesion, the epidermis was intact; grenz zone was observed in the papillary dermis and with diffuse infiltrate with leukocytoclastic vasculitis and eosinophils, polymorphonuclear leukocytes and lymphocytes in the dermis were observed. With these findings, the patient was diagnosed with granuloma faciale and treatment with topical pimecrolimus cream 1% was started. The patient applied this treatment twice a day for 2 months and a dramatic recovery was observed after this period. The case is discussed in comparison with the literature.