Refractory chronic cutaneous sarcoidosis responsive to dose escalation of TNF-alpha antagonists

Abstract

Cutaneous sarcoidosis may be a chronic disease with important morbidity requiring aggressive therapy. The efficacy of different anti-tumor necrosis factor alpha(anti-TNF-alpha) treatments in refractory cutaneous and systemic sarcoidosis has been reported previously. We report the first patient with chronic cutaneous sarcoidosis who responded to dose escalation of anti-TNF-alpha agents that have been ineffective at the standard dosage, illustrating that the optimal dosing regimen has still to be defined for this indication before considering difficult-to-treat patients as nonresponders. Our case report also illustrates that the fusion protein etanercept, even used at a high dosage, may be less effective for the treatment of cutaneous sarcoidosis than the monoclonal antibodies infliximab and adalimumab.