Skin sarcoidosis treatment

Cutaneous sarcoidosis can appear as bumps, plaques, scars, or changes in skin colour. A clinician may confirm the diagnosis with an examination and sometimes a skin biopsy, while checking whether symptoms suggest involvement beyond the skin. Mild, limited lesions may be managed with treatment applied directly to the affected area. More extensive, persistent, or organ-related disease may need medicine that works throughout the body.

A dermatologist may discuss a steroid injected into a selected lesion or a prescribed cream, depending on its location and thickness. For broader disease, an oral corticosteroid may be considered, with the dose and duration adjusted to response and safety monitoring. Do not start, stop, or alter corticosteroids without medical guidance. Protect affected skin from irritation and sun exposure, keep follow-up appointments, and report new symptoms between visits.

Read more about Steroid Injection Into The Skin and Oral Corticosteroid Treatment.

Contact your clinician if lesions rapidly change, ulcerate, become painful, or interfere with movement. Seek prompt assessment for new breathlessness, persistent cough, eye pain or vision changes, fainting, or marked swelling, because sarcoidosis can affect areas beyond the skin.

Ask whether a biopsy or other evaluation is needed, which body systems should be checked, what improvement to expect, and how corticosteroid side effects will be monitored.