Treatment of Sarcoidosis

A Prospective Review of the Results of Patients Treated and Followed up for a Diagnosis of Sarcoidosis

OBJECTIVES

The present study reports the treatment and follow-up results of patients prospectively diagnosed and treated in a public hospital.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

The present study reports the prospective follow-up data of 21 sarcoidosis cases followed up and treated in the Department of Chest Diseases of Dörtyol State Hospital from January 2010 to December 2014.

RESULTS

The 21 cases had a mean age of 44±10 years and a mean follow-up period of 38±13 months. While 10 cases were given steroid treatment, 11 cases were radiologically followed up. Besides pulmonary involvement, skin findings were detected in 7 cases and ophthalmologic findings were detected in 3 cases. In the treatment group, regression was observed in the radiographic findings of 6 cases, while no radiologically significant changes were seen in 4 cases. In the follow-up group, regression was observed in the radiographic findings of 9 cases, while no significant changes were seen in mediastinal LAPs of 2 cases. At the end of the treatment, it was found that 1 case developed steroid-induced myopathy, 1 case developed fungus ball of the sequelae, 1 case had loss of vision secondary to posterior uveitis, and 1 case had a risk of steroid-induced osteoporosis.

CONCLUSION

Choice of treatment procedure based on the stage and clinical results of the patient is still the most effective method in sarcoidosis treatment.

Cervical lymph node diseases in children

The lymph nodes are an essential part of the body’s immune system and as such are affected in many infectious, autoimmune, metabolic and malignant diseases. The cervical lymph nodes are particularly important because they are the first drainage stations for key points of contact with the outside world (mouth/throat/nose/eyes/ears/respiratory system) – a critical aspect especially among children – and can represent an early clinical sign in their exposed position on a child’s slim neck.

Involvement of the lymph nodes in multiple conditions is accompanied by a correspondingly large number of available diagnostic procedures. In the interests of time, patient wellbeing and cost, a careful choice of these must be made to permit appropriate treatment. The basis of diagnostic decisions is a detailed anamnesis and clinical examination. Sonography also plays an important role in differential diagnosis of lymph node swelling in children and is useful in answering one of the critical diagnostic questions: is there a suspicion of malignancy? If so, full dissection of the most conspicuous lymph node may be necessary to obtain histological confirmation.

Diagnosis and treatment of childhood cervical lymph node disorders present the attending pediatric and ENT physicians with some particular challenges. The spectrum of differential diagnoses and the varying degrees of clinical relevance – from banal infections to malignant diseases – demand a clear and considered approach to the child’s individual clinical presentation. Such an approach is described in the following paper.

Systemic treatment of sarcoidosis

PURPOSE

To compare the evidence base and systemic treatment strategies for sarcoidosis.

METHODS

Medline and EMBASE literature search on "sarcoidosis AND treatment", "sarcoidosis AND uveitis AND treatment", and "sarcoidosis AND eye AND treatment". The search was limited to randomized controlled trials (RCTs) and meta-analyses.

RESULTS

A total of 19 RCTs for the systemic treatment of extraocular sarcoidosis were identified. The majority were on corticosteroid-oral and inhaled. There were two meta-analyses on corticosteroid, including a Cochrane review. Only two RCTs were indentified for the treatment of intraocular sarcoidosis, one on etanercept, and the other from 1967 on prednisolone or oxyphenbutazone vs. placebo. There were no meta-analyses. Due to the paucity of RCTs other treatment studies were included but these were limited to only a few immunosuppressive agents and on small numbers of patients.

CONCLUSION

Limited high-quality evidence exists for the systemic treatment of sarcoidosis, in particular intraocular disease.

Cytokine modulators in the treatment of sarcoidosis

Sarcoidosis is a granulomatous lung disease in which several cytokines play a pivotal pathogenetic role. Steroid-resistant disease can be treated with immunosuppressive drugs, antimalarial therapies and recently with anti-TNFα agents. The use of biological agents for the treatment of sarcoidosis springs from research into the pathogenesis of the disease and also from the experience of rheumatologists with other chronic inflammatory diseases. Rituximab, golimumab and ustekinumab are cytokine modulators, useful in the treatment of immunoinflammatory disorders, for which randomized trials to evaluate safety and efficacy in sarcoidosis are not yet available. Novel anticytokine drugs administered alone or in association may offer a new approach to treatment of the disease. This review focuses on recent advances in anti-TNFα agents and cytokine modulators for the treatment of sarcoidosis and their therapeutic prospects.