Granuloma annulare: a retrospective series of 133 patients

Abstract

Although granuloma annulare (GA) is a relatively common dermatologic condition, little is known about its epidemiology and pathogenesis. Additionally, there is conflicting evidence regarding its association with other diseases. In our retrospective study, we attempted to determine the number of cases of GA seen annually at a large academic center and clarify disease associations with GA. We utilized PennSeek, a tool developed by the Penn Medicine Data Analytics Center to search electronic medical records (EMRs), to identify all cases of GA seen at the University of Pennsylvania (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania) from 2008 to 2014. All biopsy-proven cases of GA from 2010 to 2014 were reviewed for medical comorbidities, medications, treatments, and outcomes. On average, the percentage of patients given a diagnosis of GA annually was 0.22%. There were 133 cases of biopsy-proven GA that were reviewed. The findings solidify our understanding of the epidemiology of GA and diseases that can be associated with GA.