The curious case of sarcoidosis

Sarcoid was first described in 1889 by the Norwegian dermatologist Caesar Boeck. He used the term to describe a skin lesion with histologic resemblance to a sarcoma, caused by the disease we now know as sarcoidosis.^1,2 Boeck’s sarcoid was initially seen as a dermatological curiosity, but in his later work, Boeck recognised the more generalised character of the disease.¹ Sarcoidosis is still an enigmatic disease with many presentations and different outcomes.³

Sarcoidosis is a multisystemic granulomatous disease. It has an unknown aetiology and a very variable presentation, prognosis, and progression. It is a relatively rare condition, estimated to affect one in every 10,000 people in the UK.⁴ The General Practice Database suggests an incidence of approximately three per 100,000 person years.⁵