Musculoskeletal Manifestations of Sarcoidosis

Etiological Diagnosis of Uveitis: Contribution of the of the Extra-Ophthalmological Clinical Examination

PURPOSE

Determining uveitis etiology is a challenge. It is based primarily on demographic data and the characteristics of eye examination. It is not clear to what extent extraocular physical signs contribute to elucidating the etiology. This study aimed to establish the contribution of the clinical extra-ophthalmological features for the assessment of the underlying etiology of uveitis.

METHODS

We retrospectively reviewed 1307 patients with uveitis referred to our tertiary center between 2003 and 2021. Uveitis was classified according to the Standardization of Uveitis Nomenclature. Clinical features were collected at diagnosis by internists before the etiological diagnosis was made. The main outcome description was the contribution of clinical features.

RESULTS

Clinical extra-ophthalmological features contributed to the assessment of the underlying etiology of uveitis in 363 (27.8%) patients. The joint and the skin examinations were the most useful for etiological investigations, respectively in 12.3% and 11.8% of patients. Five etiologies of uveitis accounted for 80% of the cases: sarcoidosis, HLA-B27-related uveitis, Behçet's disease, multiple sclerosis, and Vogt-Koyanagi-Harada disease. Clinical extra-ophthalmological features were particularly important in the etiological diagnosis of acute bilateral anterior uveitis and panuveitis.

CONCLUSION

This study suggests that clinical extra-ophthalmological features are essential for the etiological diagnosis of uveitis in more than a quarter of patients. It demonstrates once again the value of collaboration between ophthalmologists and other specialists experienced in performing extra-ophthalmological clinical examinations, particularly in patients with acute bilateral anterior uveitis and panuveitis.

Joint involvement in sarcoidosis: systematic review and meta-analysis of prevalence, clinical pattern and outcome

OBJECTIVES

To characterize joint involvement (JI) in sarcoidosis, a systematic search of MEDLINE, EMBASE and Cochrane Library was conducted from inception to July 2022 for publications reporting its prevalence, pattern, treatment and outcome.

METHODS

The pooled prevalence estimates (PPE) with 95% CI were calculated using binomial distribution and random effects. Meta-regression method was used to examine factors affecting heterogeneity between studies.

RESULTS

Forty-nine articles were identified comprising a total of 8574 sarcoidosis patients, where 12% presented with JI (95% CI 10, 14; I2 = 0%). The PPE for sarcoid arthritis (SA) was 19% (95% CI 14, 24; I2 = 95%), and 32% (95% CI 13, 51; I2 = 99%) for arthralgia. Heterogeneity was due to higher JI prevalence reported in Western Asia and the Middle East, in rheumatology clinics and via surveys. Sample size of SA varied from 12 to 117 cases. Ankles were most frequently affected (PPE 80%) followed by knees and wrists. Monoarthritis was uncommon (PPE 1%; 95% CI 0, 2; I2 = 55%). Acute SA prevailed (PPE 79%; 95% CI 72, 88; I2 = 69%) with an equal proportion of oligo and polyarthritis and was frequently accompanied by erythema nodosum (PPE 62%; 95% CI 52, 71; I2 = 16%). Chronic SA was predominantly polyarticular with a higher frequency of the upper extremity joints affected. Most common non-articular manifestations with SA included fever (52%), erythema nodosum (41%), hilar adenopathy (86%) and interstitial lung disease (23%) of which one-third required corticosteroids and/or immunosuppressants.

CONCLUSION

SA occurred early in the disease with a PPE of 19% and most frequent pattern of acute oligo- or polyarthritis predominantly affecting the lower extremity large joints.

Löfgren Syndrome: A Mosaic of Sarcoidosis Phenotypes

Sarcoidosis is an autoimmune multisystemic granulomatous disease with an unknown etiology. Löfgren syndrome (LS), an infrequent initial presentation of acute sarcoidosis, is characterized by the classic triad of acute arthritis, erythema nodosum (EN), and bilateral hilar lymphadenopathy (BHL). The presence of this triad offers high diagnostic specificity for sarcoidosis, eliminating the need for a confirmatory biopsy. Typically, LS follows a predictable, self-limiting clinical course. However, atypical presentations require early suspicion and closer monitoring. This case report highlights an unusual clinical manifestation of LS, marked by an incomplete presentation with acute panniculitis and joint lesions in the absence of EN. Acute sarcoidosis should be considered among the differential diagnoses when these clinical manifestations are present, and chest radiography should be performed to rule out BHL. In atypical cases, the disease course becomes less predictable, as exemplified in our case, where recurrence of the disease may occur, necessitating consistent monitoring.

Sarcoidosis With Skeletal Involvement Masquerading as Metastatic Malignancy

Sarcoidosis is a systemic disorder characterized by noncaseating granuloma formation, which can affect any organ in the body; however, skeletal involvement is relatively uncommon. This case report presents a rare case of sarcoidosis primarily affecting the skeletal system in a 39-year-old man with a history of neurosarcoidosis. The patient presented with symptoms of nausea, vomiting, fatigue, weight loss, and lower back and pelvic pain, which were initially suspicious for malignancy. Computed tomography scans revealed lytic bone lesions and lymphadenopathy. However, a biopsy of a left inguinal lymph node confirmed necrotizing granulomatous lymphadenitis, which was consistent with necrotizing sarcoid granulomatosis - a rare variant of sarcoidosis. The patient was treated with systemic corticosteroids, which led to clinical improvement. The prognosis of sarcoidosis is generally good, with spontaneous remission occurring in up to two-thirds of patients; however, some patients may develop chronic and/or progressive disease. In particular, patients with a history of neurosarcoidosis may be at an increased risk for chronic or recurrent disease. This case highlights the importance of considering sarcoidosis in the differential diagnosis of patients presenting with nonspecific symptoms and lymphadenopathy, even in the absence of pulmonary involvement.

Imaging Plays a Key Role in the Diagnosis and Control of the Treatment of Bone Sarcoidosis

Sarcoidosis is a multisystem granulomatous disease of unknown origin. The most frequent localizations are thoracic lymph nodes and/or parenchymal lung disease, nevertheless any other organ may be involved. Musculoskeletal sarcoidosis, previously considered a rare manifestation of the disease, is presently recognized with increasing frequency, due to the development of modern imaging modalities. The classical X-ray sign of bone sarcoidosis is the image of lace in the phalanges of the hands. Most other locations present with atypical radiological images. Therefore, they may mimic metastatic neoplastic disease, especially when they are the first sign of sarcoidosis not previously recognized. On such occasions, none of the imaging methods will give the correct diagnosis, histopathological verification, monitoring of lesions or clinical data in a patient with confirmed sarcoidosis are indicated. The article summarizes the current status of knowledge concerning the recognition and therapy of bone sarcoidosis. In addition, an illustrative case of patient with bone and bone marrow sarcoidosis is presented.

COVID-19 vaccine-induced vasculitis in a patient with sarcoidosis: A case report

A 55-year-old lady with a nine-year history of controlled sarcoidosis developed vasculitis after Sinopharm COVID-19 vaccine (BBIBP- CorV). She was ultimately diagnosed with mononeuritis multiplex based on EMG-NCV findings and administered methylprednisolone and cyclophosphamide pulse therapy for 5 days, and then continue with prednisolone and a monthly pulse of cyclophosphamide.