Sarcoidosis presenting with a granulomatous reaction confined to red tattoos

Abstract

A patient with sarcoidosis who presented with a granulomatous tattoo reaction is described. Although tattoo granulomata usually represent a local hypersensitivity reaction to tattoo pigments, they can be a manifestation of systemic sarcoidosis. In this case the lesions were confined to the red areas of tattoos suggesting that tattoo sarcoid may be more than just an example of the Koebner response.