Subcutaneous sarcoidosis localised to sites of previous desensitizing injections

Subcutaneous sarcoidosis is a specific cutaneous lesion of systemic sarcoidosis that is rarely reported. Clinically, it is characterized by multiple, asymptomatic subcutaneous nodules mainly located on the forearms. Adverse effects of desensitization injections mostly consist of local transient reactions. Nodular lesions may also develop at the site of injection; these have been attributed to the aluminium hydroxide contained by many vaccines. We report a 49-year old woman with a history of two outbreaks of acute sarcoidosis (Löfgren syndrome) in 1994 and 1999, who developed lesions of subcutaneous sarcoidosis in the upper part of both arms, at the sites of desensitization injections for extrinsic asthma immunotherapy.