Subacute sarcoid myositis with ocular muscle involvement; a case report and review of the literature

Sarcoidosis is a chronic granulomatous disease that can affect multiple organs. The lungs, eyes, and skin are known to be highly affected organs in sarcoidosis. There have been reports based on random muscle biopsy that 32-80% of systemic sarcoidosis comprises noncaseating granulomas; however, muscle involvement in sarcoidosis is generally asymptomatic and has an unknown frequency. We describe a case of acute to subacute sarcoid myositis of the skeletal and extraocular muscles. Typical ophthalmic involvement (manifested by infiltration of the ocular adnexa, intraocular inflammation, or infiltration of the retrobulbar visual pathways) and extraocular sarcoid myositis (as with the present case) is infrequently reported. It is important to keep in mind the rare yet perhaps underestimated entity of sarcoid myositis, and to utilize muscle biopsy and imaging tests for appropriate diagnosis and management of patients with sarcoidosis.

[Effects of SM powder, a combined herbal preparation for stomach diseases, on gastric secretion and acute gastro-duodenal lesions in rats]

One gram of SM powder consists of 167.8 mg of Coptidis Rhizoma Pulveratum, 250 mg of Cinnamomi Cortex Pulveratus, 67.1 mg of Foeniculi Fractus Pulveratus, 33.6 mg of Caryophylli FLos Pulveratus, 82.1 mg of Zingiberis Rhizoma Pulveratus, 3.4 mg of Zanthoxyli Fructus Pulveratus, and 396 mg of Glycyrrhizae Radix Pulberata. SM powder (2 g/kg, i.d.) significantly inhibited gastric secretion in pylorus-ligated rats and the development of Shay ulcers and indomethacin-induced gastric lesions. The mechanism of the anti-lesion activity of SM powder appears to be due to its antisecretory effect. SM powder also markedly inhibited ethanol- or NaOH-induced gastric lesions at doses (30 or 100 mg/kg) which had little effect on gastric secretion. SM powder appears to have a cytoprotective activity which is unrelated to endogenous prostaglandins. However, SM powder had no effect on water-immersion stress- or aspirin-induced gastric lesions and mepirizole-induced duodenal ulcers. Gentiana Radix Pulverata, used as a reference stomatic, had also an antisecretory effect and anti-lesion activity on Shay ulcers, aspirin-, ethanol- and NaOH-induced gastric lesions. However, it had no effect on water-immersion stress- or indomethacin-induced gastric lesions and mepirizole-induced duodenal ulcers.