Sarcoid-like Reaction in a Patient With Colon Cancer: A Case Report and Mini-Review

Sarcoidosis is a multisystemic and chronic inflammatory disorder characterized by the manifestation of epithelioid cell granulomas in various organs. Sarcoid-like reactions occur in patients who do not fulfill the diagnostic criteria for sarcoidosis but present with similar clinical and histological features. An 80-year-old man presented to our hospital with several subcutaneous nodules on the extremities. Based on clinical and pathological findings, the subcutaneous nodules were diagnosed as sarcoid nodules. However, the patient did not meet the diagnostic criteria for sarcoidosis. Positron emission tomography-computed tomography revealed abnormalities in several uptakes in the extremities that matched with the subcutaneous nodules and transverse colon. Additional examinations using lower gastrointestinal endoscopy, pathological examination, and contrast-enhanced computed tomography revealed tubular adenocarcinoma of the transverse colon. The patient underwent partial colon resection and lymph node dissection. The sarcoid nodules disappeared within 2 months postoperatively. Approximately 2 years later, there were no signs of recurrence of subcutaneous nodules, colon cancer, or additional findings suggestive of sarcoidosis. To our knowledge, this is the first report on a sarcoid-like reaction developing in the subcutaneous tissues of the extremities, associated with colon cancer, wherein the sarcoid nodules disappeared after the operation.