It was described in 1953 by Sven Halvar Löfgren, a Swedish clinician. Some have considered the condition to be imprecisely defined.
Löfgren syndrome is a type of acute sarcoidosis, an inflammatory disorder characterized by swollen lymph nodes in the chest, tender red nodules on the shins, fever and arthritis. It is more common in women than men, and is more frequent in those of Scandinavian, Irish, African and Puerto Rican heritage.