Periocular granuloma annulare in four children

Subcutaneous granuloma annulare is a skin condition that occurs on the lower extremities, hands, and scalp of healthy children. It rarely occurs in the periocular area, and when it does, the annular pattern is often absent. Histopathology is diagnostic and shows palisading histiocytes around areas of necrobiosis. Although benign in nature, the lesions tend to multiply, grow in size, and often recur. They usually resolve spontaneously and do not require treatment. Four cases of periocular subcutaneous granuloma annulare, from four different geographical areas, were identified through on-line postings on the worldwide mailing list of the Organization for Pediatric Ophthalmology and Strabismus (http://lists.ucsd.edu/mailman/listinfo/ped-ophth-1). These 4 patients are reported here, and a brief review of the literature is presented.