Scar sarcoidosis with bone marrow involvement and associated musculoskeletal symptoms.
Sarcoidosis affects the lungs most commonly and can present with cutaneous lesions. It can also involve the bone marrow in rare instances, often presenting with non-specific symptoms such as fever and malaise, with occasional haematological abnormalities. The authors present the case of a 41-year-old caucasian female who was diagnosed with scar sarcoidosis, but who also reported fatigue, night sweats and polyarthralgia. No haematological abnormalities or lung involvement were detected. A magnetic resonance scan of the spine, performed due to disc prolapses, demonstrated areas of bone oedema and stress response that were reported as a possible sarcoid infiltration of the bone marrow. An improvement occurred after 8 weeks, despite conservative treatment. Bone marrow involvement in sarcoidosis is rarely reported, and was an accidental finding here. Due to the non-specific presentation, cases such as this are potentially underdiagnosed and should be considered in patients with systemic symptoms, regardless of their haematological status.
General Medicine Department, Basildon University Hospital, London, Essex, UK. omairhameed@hotmail.com
Omair Akhtar
OA
Hameed
Malgorzata
M
Skibinska
D000328:Adult; D001855:Bone Marrow Diseases / Q000209:etiology*; D002921:Cicatrix / Q000150:complications*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D009140:Musculoskeletal Diseases / Q000209:etiology*; D012507:Sarcoidosis / Q000150:complications*; D012871:Skin Diseases / Q000150:complications*