title: [Uveitis as a presenting manifestation of sarcoidosis: clinical characteritics of a series of 23 cases].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Uveitis may rarely reveal sarcoidosis in Caucasian patients. Our objective was to analyze the clinical manifestations, and the outcome in a group of patients in whom uveitis was the presenting manifestation of sarcoidosis.
  
  
  METHODS
  Retrospective study including 23 patients (mean age: 50.3±14.5 years) diagnosed with sarcoidosis after an episode of uveitis. Granulomatous lesions were documented in 14 patients.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Ophthalmological examination revealed anterior uveitis (n=5), intermediate uveitis (n=2), posterior uveitis (n=25) and panuveitis (n=11). Ocular inflammation was bilateral in 16 patients (69,6%), typical aspects of granulomatous uveitis were found in only 16 eyes over 39 (41%), posterior uveitis was found in 18 eyes (46.2%), with an averaged visual acuity of 5/10. Macular oedema was noted in five patients. Suggestive signs of ocular sarcoidosis were present in 43% of the patients. Stage 1 or 2 pulmonary involvement (n=22), musculoskeletal (22%), skin (13%), or spleen (9%) involvements were the most common findings. Oral corticosteroids were necessary in 91.3% of the patients, immunosuppressive agents in 26.1%, with a prolonged treatment greater than two years in 58%. The visual prognosis was good, with visual acuity greater than 6/10 in 96% of the cases if the ocular inflammation spared retina and choroid. However, a visual acuity less than 6/10 was observed in 44% of the cases when the posterior segment was involved.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Sarcoidosis may be revealed by an intraocular inflammation, with typical patterns in only 43% of the cases. Sarcoidosis should therefore be included in the differential diagnosis of every uveitis. Oral corticosteroids are required in almost all cases, owing to ocular involvement rather than visceral involvement.
authors: Médecine interne, maladies orphelines et systémiques, centre hospitalier universitaire de Nancy, hôpitaux de Brabois, 54511 Vandœuvre cedex, France.
authors: L
authors: L
authors: Pruna
authors: K
authors: K
authors: Angioi
authors: A
authors: A
authors: Robin
authors: J
authors: J
authors: Deibener
authors: A
authors: A
authors: Poirson
authors: J
authors: J
authors: Selton
authors: S
authors: S
authors: Mohamed
authors: P
authors: P
authors: Kaminsky
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012507:Sarcoidosis / Q000150:complications* / Q000175:diagnosis*; D014605:Uveitis / Q000209:etiology*; D055815:Young Adult