title: Vertebral sarcoidosis of the spine in a football player.
abstract: Osseous involvement is common in sarcoidosis, but most cases of osseous sarcoidosis occur in the long bones of the hands and feet. Vertebral involvement in sarcoidosis is rare. A case of vertebral sarcoidosis in a 19-year-old male football player is presented. The patient had clinical, radiologic, laboratory, and pathologic findings consistent with a case of vertebral sarcoidosis. A review of the literature on sarcoid involvement of the spine is also presented. Although rare, sarcoid infiltration of the vertebrae is a recognized entity. Magnetic resonance imaging can be helpful in making the diagnosis, but biopsy is needed for confirmation.
authors.affiliation: Sports Medicine and Shoulder Service, Columbia Presbyterian Medical Center, New York, New York, USA.
authors.forename: N P
authors.initials: NP
authors.lastname: Cohen
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Gosset
authors.forename: R B
authors.initials: RB
authors.lastname: Staron
authors.forename: W N
authors.initials: WN
authors.lastname: Levine
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D005538:Football; D006801:Humans; D008159:Lumbar Vertebrae / Q000473:pathology*; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D012507:Sarcoidosis / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000473:pathology; D013122:Spinal Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000473:pathology; D013904:Thoracic Vertebrae / Q000473:pathology*