Endocrine and reproductive manifestations of sarcoidosis

Open Access
Publisher Website
Google Scholar
Abstract
Sarcoidosis is a multisystem protean disorder, characterized histologically by the presence of non-caseating epithelioid-cell granulomas in affected tissues. The aetiology of sarcoidosis remains unclear, although it is recognized as a disease of activated T lymphocytes. Sarcoidosis has an uneven distribution world-wide, with high prevalence rates in European countries such as Sweden and Denmark, compared to China or Japan. There is also geographical or community clustering of the disease. In the UK, for example, where the prevalence rate is 20 per 100 000,1 the incidence increases from north to south, offering support for the idea that a transmissible agent may play a part in the aetiology of the condition. Interestingly, the incidence and clinical course of sarcoidosis varies in different racial groups living in the same geographical area. There is a 10-fold higher annual incidence in West Indian and Asian immigrants living in London than in the indigenous White population. Furthermore, in West Indian and Asian patients, full recovery appears less likely, and there is an increased incidence of extrathoracic disease.2