A young woman with known sarcoidosis develops violaceous, indurated plaques on her nose, cheeks, and earlobes — the lesions have been present for years and are associated with chronic pulmonary sarcoidosis. This specific cutaneous manifestation is called:
- A Erythema nodosum
- B Löfgren syndrome rash
- C Lupus pernio ✓
- D Papular sarcoid
Correct answer: C. Lupus pernio
Explanation
Lupus pernio is the specific term for indurated, violaceous plaques affecting the nose, cheeks, and earlobes in sarcoidosis, representing a form of specific (granulomatous) cutaneous sarcoidosis. It is strongly associated with chronic, systemic sarcoidosis involving the lungs, bone, and eyes, unlike erythema nodosum (non-specific, acute sarcoid, Löfgren syndrome, good prognosis) or papular sarcoid (small papules, often acute). Lupus pernio histology shows non-caseating naked granulomas with epithelioid cells and Langhans giant cells.
Reference: Neena Khanna Illustrated Synopsis of Dermatology & STD, 6th ed.
High-yield for: NEET PGINI-CETNExTFMGEUSMLEPLABMRCP
Written and medically reviewed by the StethoPrep medical team.