The granuloma annulare phenotype and tuberculosis.

Abstract

At one time it was believed that granuloma annulare was associated with or even caused by tuberculosis. In the past 50 years, that idea has seemed to be of little more than historic importance. A case is reported of chronic, inadequately treated tuberculosis with erythema induratum in which clinical and histologic lesions compatible with granuloma annulare occurred. Specific antituberculosis therapy caused clearing of the skin lesions. The previous reported cases of granuloma annulare and tuberculosis are summarized. Other systemic diseases reportedly associated with granuloma annulare are noted to emphasize the many possible etiologic relationships. Granuloma annulare may be viewed not as a disease sui generis but as a phenotypic macrophage-granulomatous response to multiple etiologic disease patterns.