title: Systemic manifestations and enzyme studies in sarcoidosis with neurologic involvement.
abstract: The dissemination and activity of systemic disease was evaluated retrospectively in 50 patients with neurosarcoidosis, 24 of whom presented with neurologic symptoms. During follow-up, five patients never developed detectable systemic disease. In 26 patients, sarcoidosis had previously been diagnosed, but in 11 (42%) of them the neurologic symptoms were initially not connected with this disease. During follow-up, extraneural features were those of sarcoidosis in general. However, 23 patients (46%) had normal chest X-ray on admission to neurologic examinations. Fourteen (35%) of 40 examined patients had ocular changes, 13 (33%) of 39 hypercalciuria and 13 (26%) of 50 skin manifestations. Serum angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) was elevated in only 31% of the patients. Measureable amounts of ACE were recorded in the cerebrospinal fluid from 13 of 17 examined patients. During follow-up the activity of neurosarcoidosis seemed to be linked to the course of systemic disease in general.
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008168:Lung / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009422:Nervous System Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000201:enzymology; D009460:Neurologic Examination; D007703:Peptidyl-Dipeptidase A / Q000378:metabolism*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012507:Sarcoidosis / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000201:enzymology / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D007703:Peptidyl-Dipeptidase A