CUTANEOUS SARCOIDOSIS AND FOREIGN-BODIES - AN ELECTRON-PROBE ROENTGENOGRAPHIC MICROANALYTIC STUDY

A 60-year-old woman had extensive and recurrent foreign-body granuloma tous inflammation of her forehead. The granulomata contained double re fractile crystalline material. Electron probe roentgenographic microan alysis identified silicon, calcium, aluminum, potassium, and sulphur i n the crystalline material. Silicon-rich particles are generally consi dered exogenous. A diagnosis of sarcoidosis was confirmed by the prese nce of bilateral hilar and mediastinal lymphadenopathy due to biopsy-p roven nodal replacement by noninfectious noncaseating granulomata. We conclude that foreign matter may operate as a nidus for the formation of granuloma in sarcoidosis and that the presence of polarizable matte r in a sarcoid granuloma does not rule out sarcoidosis.