Lupus miliaris disseminatus faciei: a distinctive rosacea-like syndrome and not a granulomatous form of rosacea.

Background: Lupus miliaris disseminatus faciei is an eruption of discrete red-brown, dome-shaped papules, histologically characterized by epithelioid cell granulomas. The pathogenesis of the disorder remains controversial.

Objective: The authors discuss the place of lupus miliaris disseminatus faciei among granulomatous disorders.

Methods: This report reviews the available literature and presents 3 patients with lupus miliaris disseminatus faciei.

Results: The histopathologic characteristics of lupus miliaris disseminatus faciei--an epithelioid cell granuloma with central necrosis--may be found in granulomatous rosacea, whilst the clinical features and course of lupus miliaris disseminatus faciei are often similar to cutaneous sarcoidosis.

Conclusions: We put forward lupus miliaris disseminatus faciei as a distinctive rosacea-like syndrome and not as a granulomatous form of rosacea.