Successful Treatment of Granuloma Faciale with Topical Tacrolimus: A Case Report and Immunohistochemical Study

Abstract

We report the case of a 55-year-old Japanese patient with granuloma faciale (GF) successfully treated with topical tacrolimus and describe the immunohistochemical study. Immunohistochemical staining revealed that the patient’s granuloma contained CD3+, CD4+, CD8+, CD68+ and CD163+ cells. Interestingly, these cells contained granulysin+ T cells and lacked Foxp3high+ regulatory T cells. In addition, the macrophages were mainly CD163+, which suggested that the alternatively activated macrophage is one of the main components of GF. In summary, the present data shed light on the granuloma-composing cells and possible mechanisms in the treatment of GF with topical tacrolimus.

Keywords

• Granuloma faciale
• Tacrolimus
• Proinflammatory cytokine