title: Characteristics of patients presenting with erythema nodosum and sarcoidosis.
abstract: We explored the relationship between erythema nodosum (EN) and sex, age, serum angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE), bronchoalveolar lavage lymphocytosis (BAL-I), interstitial granulomas and radiological stage in patients presenting with pulmonary sarcoidosis in Ireland. Sixty-nine patients diagnosed with sarcoidosis between 2003 and 2006 were studied. Forty one patients (59%) were male. Sixteen patients (23%) presented with EN. Forty one patients of 65 (63%) had transbronchial biopsies demonstrating non-caseating granulomas. Patients with sarcoidosis presenting with EN were more likely to be female (p=0.042), younger (p=0.012) and have earlier stage pulmonary disease (p=0.02). There were no correlations between serum ACE, interstitial granulomas and disease stage. BAL-I did however predict increasing disease radiological stage (p=0.042). In this study, one quarter of patients with sarcoidosis presented with EN among their presenting features. These patients were more likely to be young females with early stage radiological disease.
authors.affiliation: Department of Respiratory Medicine, Mercy University Hospital, Cork. terryoconnor@eircom.net
authors.forename: T M
authors.initials: TM
authors.lastname: O'Connor
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Cagney
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Jahangir
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Brady
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Fitzgibbon
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: El-Gammal
authors.forename: N J
authors.initials: NJ
authors.lastname: Brennan
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D017677:Age Distribution; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001992:Bronchoalveolar Lavage Fluid / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000166:cytology; D004893:Erythema Nodosum / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D006099:Granuloma / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D007494:Ireland / Q000453:epidemiology; D008218:Lymphocytosis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D007703:Peptidyl-Dipeptidase A / Q000097:blood*; D011859:Radiography; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D017565:Sarcoidosis, Pulmonary / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000473:pathology; D013223:Statistics as Topic; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D007703:Peptidyl-Dipeptidase A