Epidemiology, clinical presentation, treatment, and outcome of neurosarcoidosis: A mono-centric retrospective study and literature review

Anti-inflammatory Therapy for Sarcoidosis

Over 50% of patients with sarcoidosis will require anti-inflammatory therapy at some point in their disease course. Indications for therapy are to improve health-related quality of life, prevent or arrest organ dysfunction (or organ failure) or avoid death. Recently published treatment guidelines recommended a stepwise approach to therapy however there are some patients for whom up front combination or more intense therapy maybe reasonable. The last decade has seen an explosion of studies and trials evaluating novel therapeutic agents and treatment strategies. Currently available anti-inflammatory therapies and several novel therapies are discussed here.

Defining the course of neurosarcoidosis according to presentation at onset and disease modifying treatment: a cohort study of 84 patients

Background

Neurosarcoidosis is a rare manifestation of sarcoidosis with heterogeneous presentations. Patient management is challenging due to the current lack of knowledge about the long-term disease course.

Objective

To identify specific disease courses of neurosarcoidosis according to the clinical and paraclinical presentations at onset.

Methods

We conducted an observational multicenter cohort study by retrospectively collecting data from the medical records of 84 patients diagnosed with definite, probable, or possible neurosarcoidosis in three tertiary referral centers in France (Nancy, Strasbourg, and Bordeaux). We collected demographic characteristics, clinical and paraclinical data at the beginning of patient management, and during follow-up under the different treatment lines. Two expert neurologists determined disease course profiles.

Results

The mean follow-up was 6.6 years. Almost every patient (96.4%) received steroids at some point of their follow-up. Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha blockers were given in 10.7% as first-line treatment and in 33.3% during follow-up. Every patient presented with a relapsing disease, often monophasic (75%) and sometimes polyphasic with the recurrence of identical manifestations (11.9%). Patients developing new neurological symptoms during follow-up were a minority (13.1%). No patients exhibited a progressive course. Patients with isolated cranial nerves injury or aseptic meningitis always exhibited a monophasic course, and 62.5-75% of them had a full recovery after first-line treatments. This proportion was 15.6% in other forms of the disease. Those with peripheral presentations were more likely to present a polyphasic course than patients with other forms of neurosarcoidosis. Spinal cord presentations were monophasic, but resulted in sequelae and exhibited poor response to first-line treatments despite frequent use of TNF-alpha blockers.

Conclusion

Identification of these disease course profiles, based on the initial clinical and paraclinical presentation, could guide the clinician to select the optimal therapeutic approach and follow-up modalities for their patients with neurosarcoidosis.

Sudden Vision Loss Due to Optic Neuritis-An Uncommon Presentation of Neurosarcoidosis

Sarcoidosis is a systemic, granulomatous disease of unknown etiology, most often manifested by mediastinal and hilar lymph node enlargement and parenchymal nodules in the lungs. However, it may involve any other organ. Neuro-sarcoidosis, a condition that affects up to 20% of sarcoidosis patients, can be found in any part of the central or peripheral nervous system and has important ophthalmic and neuro-ophthalmic manifestations. We present two patients with sudden vision loss due to neurosarcoidosis. In both cases, biopsy of the mediastinal lymph node showed non-caseating granulomas consistent with sarcoidosis. Treatment involved high doses of methylprednisolone intravenously, followed by topical dexamethasone eye drops in the first case and a systemic steroid treatment in the second, resulting in symptom relief. Those two cases demonstrate that sarcoidosis should be considered as a differential diagnosis in cases of optic neuritis.

A Diagnostic Dilemma: A Case of Neurosarcoidosis Without Systemic Sarcoidosis

Sarcoidosis is a multisystem granulomatous disorder of unknown etiology characterized by non-caseating granulomas in involved organs. Approximately 10% of patients with sarcoidosis exhibit central nervous system involvement. However, the occurrence of isolated neurosarcoidosis without concurrent systemic signs is very rare, affecting less than 1% of patients. We report a case of isolated neurosarcoidosis in a previously healthy patient who initially presented with a single episode of seizure and loss of consciousness. Brain MRI showed T2/fluid-attenuated inversion recovery (FLAIR) hyperintense extra-axial soft tissue mass over the left cerebral convexity measuring approximately 14 mm in maximum depth. Excisional biopsy of the brain mass showed chronic non-caseating granulomatous inflammation with epitheloid cells that was consistent with sarcoidosis. Treatment with high dose-steroids led to significant clinical improvement. At a two-year follow-up, there were no signs of systemic disease or recurrence of the meningeal mass. This case emphasizes the rarity of such presentation, diagnostic difficulties, and the importance of high suspicion and timely management to prevent debilitating neurologic complications.

Common Clinical and Molecular Pathways between Migraine and Sarcoidosis

Migraine and sarcoidosis are two distinct medical conditions that may have some common biological and clinical pathways. Sarcoidosis is a chronic granulomatous disease characterized by the formation of granulomas in various organs, including the lungs, skin, cardiovascular system, lymph nodes, and brain. Migraine is a common comorbidity in sarcoidosis patients and a common neurological disorder characterized by recurrent headaches that can be accompanied by other symptoms, such as nausea, vomiting, and sensitivity to light and sound. There have been several reports of individuals with neurosarcoidosis experiencing migraines, though the exact relationship between the two disorders is not well understood. Both conditions have been associated with inflammation and the activation of the immune system. In sarcoidosis, the formation of granulomas is thought to be an immune response to the presence of an unknown antigen. Similarly, the pain and other symptoms associated with migraines are thought to be caused by inflammation in the brain and the surrounding blood vessels. There is also evidence to suggest an interplay of environmental and genetic factors playing a role in both conditions, but evidence is inconsistent with the hypothesis of shared genetic susceptibility. This review aims to illustrate common clinical and biological pathways between migraine and sarcoidosis, including inflammation and dysregulation of the immune system, with a focus on the cumulative burden of concurrent disorders and therapeutic implications.

Cerebral Vasculitis Revealing Systemic Sarcoidosis: A Case Report and Review of the Literature

Vasculitis in neurosarcoidosis is rare, with only a few cases reported in the literature. We report the clinical observation of a 51-year-old patient with no previous medical history, who was admitted to the emergency department due to sudden onset confusion, fever, sweating, weakness, and headaches. The first brain scan was normal, but a further biological exam with a lumbar puncture revealed lymphocytic meningitis. A complementary cerebral MRI revealed abnormalities in the white matter signal, suggestive of multiple sclerosis, with petechial hemorrhagic foci associated with leptomeningeal involvement and cerebral vasculitis. Thoraco-abdomino-pelvic computed tomography revealed hilar and mediastinal lymphadenopathy, as well as lymph nodes in the lower cervical region. A biopsy of the lymph nodes confirmed the presence of non-caseating granulomatous inflammation consistent with sarcoidosis. High-dose corticosteroid therapy was initiated with good clinical outcomes. Cerebral vasculitis in neurosarcoidosis is rare but can lead to neurological complications requiring long-term multidisciplinary management.