Antifungal treatment in sarcoidosis--a pilot intervention trial.
BACKGROUND
Sarcoidosis is generally treated with corticosteroids that are not always an effective therapy.


OBJECTIVE
To assess if treatment with antifungal drugs would improve the clinical status of patients with sarcoidosis.


METHODS
Patients (n=18) with sarcoidosis grades II and III according to established criteria and without clinical and immunological signs of fungal infection, were treated with antifungal medication together with corticosteroids for 3-6 months. Pulmonary X-ray infiltration, lung function, and severity of symptoms were registered before and after the treatment and at follow up 9-58 months later.


RESULTS
The treatment resulted in statistically significant decreases in the degree of pulmonary infiltration with an average decrease in the group from 2.0 to 1.0. There were also significant increases in diffusion capacity and decreases in the severity of symptoms.


CONCLUSIONS
It is suggested that treatment with antifungal drugs may be useful, at least in certain cases of sarcoidosis.
Tercelj
Marjeta
M
Unit of Respiratory Diseases and Allergy, University Medical Center, Clinical Center, Zaloska 7, 1525 Ljubljana, Slovenia. marjeta.tercelj@kclj.si
Rott
Tomaz
T
Rylander
Ragnar
R
D000305:Adrenal Cortex Hormones / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000935:Antifungal Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D004359:Drug Therapy, Combination; D005260:Female; D015725:Fluconazole / Q000627:therapeutic use; D006801:Humans; D017964:Itraconazole / Q000627:therapeutic use; D007654:Ketoconazole / Q000627:therapeutic use; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010865:Pilot Projects; D012507:Sarcoidosis / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000503:physiopathology; D016896:Treatment Outcome
D000305:Adrenal Cortex Hormones; D000935:Antifungal Agents; D017964:Itraconazole; D015725:Fluconazole; D007654:Ketoconazole