Respiratory symptoms at presentation and long-term vital prognosis in patients with pulmonary sarcoidosis.
A follow-up of 254 patients with pulmonary sarcoidosis has been carried out after a median of 27 years from the diagnostic admission. Information on respiratory symptoms at entry was available in 80% of the patients. Cough and chronic bronchitis was present in 39% and 37%, respectively, whereas 41% reported breathlessness when walking and 25% reported breathlessness when undressing. In total, 51% had at least one respiratory symptom. All patients could be traced; eighty patients (31.5%) died during follow-up. A total of 17 died of sarcoidosis and a further 16 died of sarcoidosis-related diseases. All deaths from sarcoidosis were seen among patients with respiratory symptoms at presentation. For sarcoidosis and sarcoidosis-related deaths (N = 33), presence of one or more of the respiratory symptoms increased the risk significantly. For overall mortality, respiratory symptoms were also significant predictors; this was the case even after adjusting for age, sex, x-ray stage and lung function (FEV1 & TLC) at presentation. In conclusion, respiratory symptoms at the time of diagnosis are independently related to vital prognosis in pulmonary sarcoidosis.
Vestbo
J
J
Department of Pulmonary Medicine P, Bispebjerg Hospital, Copenhagen, Denmark.
Viskum
K
K
D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011379:Prognosis; D016016:Proportional Hazards Models; D012120:Respiration Disorders / Q000209:etiology*; D017565:Sarcoidosis, Pulmonary / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000401:mortality*; D016019:Survival Analysis; D013997:Time Factors