Multi-technique imaging of sarcoidosis

Hybrid Imaging in Head and Neck Sarcoidosis

Abstract: To determine the prevalence of head and neck sarcoidosis (HNS) and evaluate the role of hybrid molecular imaging in HNS. Between 2010 and 2018, 222 patients with chronic sarcoidosis and presence of prolonged symptoms of active disease were referred to FDG PET/CT. Active disease was found in 169 patients, and they were all screened for the presence of HNS. All patients underwent MDCT and assessment of the serum ACE level. Follow-up FDG PET/CT examination was done 19.84 ± 8.98 months after the baseline. HNS was present in 38 out of 169 patients. FDG uptake was present in: cervical lymph nodes (38/38), submandibular glands (2/38), cerebrum (2/38), and bone (1/38). The majority of patients had more than two locations of disease. After FDG PET/CT examination, therapy was changed in most patients. Fourteen patients returned to follow-up FDG PET/CT examination in order to assess the therapy response. PET/CT revealed active disease in 12 patients and complete remission in two patients. Follow-up ACE levels had no correlation with follow-up SUVmax level (ρ = -0.18, p = 0.77). FDG PET/CT can be useful in the detection of HNS and in the evaluation of the therapy response. It may replace the use of non-purposive mounds of insufficiently informative laboratory and radiological procedures.

Clinical and radiological features of extra-pulmonary sarcoidosis: a pictorial essay

Abstract

The aim of this manuscript is to describe radiological findings of extra-pulmonary sarcoidosis. Sarcoidosis is an immune-mediated systemic disease of unknown origin, characterized by non-caseating epitheliod granulomas. Ninety percent of patients show granulomas located in the lungs or in the related lymph nodes. However, lesions can affect any organ. Typical imaging features of liver and spleen sarcoidosis include visceromegaly, with multiple nodules hypodense on CT images and hypointense on T2-weighted MRI acquisitions. Main clinical and radiological manifestations of renal sarcoidosis are nephrolithiasis, nephrocalcinosis, and acute interstitial nephritis. Brain sarcoidosis shows multiple or solitary parenchymal nodules on MRI that enhance with a ring-like appearance after gadolinium. In spinal cord localization, MRI demonstrates enlargement and hyperintensity of spinal cord, with hypointense lesions on T2-weighted images. Skeletal involvement is mostly located in small bone, showing many lytic lesions; less frequently, bone lesions have a sclerotic appearance. Ocular involvement includes uveitis, conjunctivitis, optical nerve disease, chorioretinis. Erythema nodosum and lupus pernio represent the most common cutaneous manifestations encountered. Sarcoidosis in various organs can be very insidious for radiologists, showing different imaging features, often non-specific. Awareness of these imaging features helps radiologists to obtain the correct diagnosis.

Teaching Points

• Systemic sarcoidosis can exhibit abdominal, neural, skeletal, ocular, and cutaneous manifestations.

• T2 signal intensity of hepatosplenic nodules may reflect the disease activity.

• Heerfordt’s syndrome includes facial nerve palsy, fever, parotid swelling, and uveitis.

• In the vertebrae, osteolytic and/or diffuse sclerotic lesions can be found.

• Erythema nodosum and lupus pernio represent the most common cutaneous manifestations.

Sarcoidosis: radiographic manifestations in the nails and distal phalanges

Sarcoidosis is a granulomatous disease which can affect multiple organ systems. Clinical and radiologic manifestations depend on the organ system involved and the chronicity of disease. Nail involvement in sarcoidosis is rare, but is clinically relevant as it indicates chronic systemic disease. Nail abnormalities can be identified radiographically, and when seen in patients with known or suspected sarcoidosis, should prompt careful evaluation of the underlying bone for osseous involvement. We describe a case of sarcoidosis with radiographic findings in the nails and distal phalangeal tufts, which were indicative of nail and osseous sarcoid involvement and strongly supported the presence of chronic systemic disease. Although the nail findings resolved clinically and on radiographs after treatment, the osseous findings showed only minimal improvement. To our knowledge, the radiographic findings of nail sarcoidosis have not been previously addressed in the literature.

Ultrasound findings in cutaneous sarcoidosis

The diagnosis of cutaneous sarcoidosis relies mainly on the patient's history, presence of characteristic skin lesions and histological examination that shows a granulomatous, non-necrotizing dermal infiltration. The aim of the study was to assess the ultrasonographic features of cutaneous lesions of sarcoidosis before and after treatment. A 38-year-old woman with systemic sarcoidosis and specific cutaneous lesions was treated with systemic steroids followed by hydroxychloroquine. Ultrasonographic examination of the cutaneous sarcoidosis lesions was performed with a Philips iU 22 and Siemens Acuson S 2000 device, with the use of linear 15 MHz and 17 MHz transducers. Histological examination of skin lesions showed characteristic, naked, non-necrotizing granulomas in the upper dermis. Ultrasound examination revealed well-demarcated, hypoechogenic changes. Power-Doppler scan revealed increased vascularity within the lesions and the surrounding tissue. Clinical improvement of the skin lesions was confirmed by ultrasound examination, which showed a decrease in their size and normalization of dermal echogenicity and vascularity. Ultrasound examination can show cutaneous sarcoidosis lesions and their regression after appropriate treatment.

Current clinical use of 18FDG-PET/CT in patients with thoracic and systemic sarcoidosis

PURPOSE

This study assessed the role of whole-body (18)fluorodeoxyglucose positron-emission tomography/computed tomography ((18)FDG PET/CT) in the restaging and follow-up of patients with sarcoidosis previously studied by multidetector computed tomography (MDCT).

MATERIALS AND METHODS

This retrospective study enrolled 21 patients to evaluate the sensitivity, specificity and accuracy of (18)FDG-PET/CT and MDCT. The results of the two techniques were compared with the Mc Nemar test. Cohen's K was used to compare concordance at the different lesion sites.

RESULTS

The sensitivity, specificity and accuracy of (18)FDG-PET/CT were 80, 66.67, and 76.19 %, respectively. The sensitivity, specificity and accuracy of MDCT were 93.33, 33.33, and 76.19 %, respectively. In 16 patients who underwent whole-body MDCT, the sensitivity, specificity and accuracy values were 91.67, 81.25, and 50 % (MDCT) and 100, 50, and 87.5 % ((18)FDG-PET/CT).

CONCLUSIONS

(18)FDG-PET/CT is useful in evaluating the extent of sarcoidosis and recognising lesions at different sites, including lymph nodes, lungs, liver, spleen and bone. It also improves the interpretation of the morphological lesions seen on MDCT and depicts a larger number of lesions. Therefore, (18)FDG-PET/CT could be used to complement other more traditional techniques for the restaging and follow-up in patients with sarcoidosis.

HRCT findings of pulmonary sarcoidosis; relation to pulmonary function tests

Background

Chest-X-ray has several limitations in detecting the extent of pulmonary disease in sarcoidosis. It might not reflect the degree of pulmonary involvement in patients with sarcoidosis when compared to computed tomography of the thorax. We aimed to investigate the HRCT findings of pulmonary sarcoidosis and to find out the existence of possible relations between HRCT findings and PFTs. In addition, we aimed to investigate the accordance between HRCT findings and conventional chest-X-ray staging of pulmonary sarcoidosis.

Method

45 patients with sarcoidosis with a mean age 29.7+/− 8.4 years were evaluated. Six of them were female and 39 were male. The type, distribution and extent of the parameters on HRCT/CTs were evaluated and scored. Chest-X-rays were evaluated for the stage of pulmonary sarcoidosis. Correlations were investigated between HRCT/CT parameter scores, Chest X-Ray stages and pulmonary function parameters.

Results

Nodule, micronodule, ground glass opacity and consolidation were the most common HRCT findings. There were significant correlations between pulmonary function parameters, HRCT pattern scores, and chest-X-ray stages. A significant correlation between chest-x-ray score and total HRCT score was found.

Conclusions

Pulmonary sarcoidosis patients might have various pulmonary parenchymal changes on HRCT. Thorax HRCT was superior to chest-X-ray in detecting pulmonary parenchymal abnormalities. The degree of pulmonary involvement might be closely related to the loss of pulmonary function measured by PFTs. Chest-X-ray is considered to have a role in the evaluation of pulmonary sarcoidosis.

Increased hospitalizations among sarcoidosis patients from 1998 to 2008: a population-based cohort study

Background

Diagnostic and treatment approaches for sarcoidosis have changed dramatically over the past decade. Yet, the most recent reports of trends in hospitalizations of sarcoidosis patients are over ten years old. The objectives of this study were to determine the incidence of sarcoidosis among hospitalized patients and to analyze recent trends and seasonality of hospitalizations in sarcoidosis patients.

Methods

We performed a retrospective cohort study of the Nationwide Inpatient Sample from 1998 through 2008. We identified all hospitalizations with a primary or secondary diagnosis of sarcoidosis (ICD-9-CM code 135). Incidence was modeled as a seasonal time series about a linear trend.

Results

Time series analysis of the monthly number of hospitalizations revealed a distinct positive linear trend. Over the study period, the number of hospitalized patients with sarcoidosis increased from 37,516 to 70,947 cases. Trends were most pronounced in patients older than 55 years (p < 0.0001), African Americans (p < 0.0001), females (p = 0.0289), and non-Medicaid populations (p < 0.0001). Hospitalizations are seasonal with highest incidence in January through March.

Conclusions

Hospitalizations among sarcoidosis patients have almost doubled during the past decade, with disproportionate rate increases in African Americans, women, and older patients. The rate also increases among patients with insurance other than Medicaid. This study indicates the need for heightened surveillance of sarcoidosis patients given the unknown consequences of evolving treatment approaches. Our results point to a need for research investigating risk factors for hospitalization, including medications, co-morbidities, demographics, and socioeconomic status.

PET/CT in Patients with Sarcoidosis or IgG4 Disease

Sarcoidosis as a distinct disease entity was diagnosed more than 100 years ago. The signs and symptoms of the disease are nonspecific, posing a challenge for early and accurate diagnosis. IgG4 disease or syndrome has various clinical manifestations, such as sclerosing pancreatitis, sclerosing cholangitis, prostatitis, tubulointerstitial nephritis, interstitial pneumonia, and enlargement of salivary glands. This article discusses the role of the different diagnostic imaging modalities in sarcoidosis and IgG4 disease, including radiographs, computed tomography, magnetic resonance imaging, and conventional nuclear medicine, with a special emphasis on positron emission tomography as a superior modality for assessing these inflammatory diseases.