title: Spontaneous improvement of laryngeal sarcoidosis resistant to systemic corticosteroid administration.
abstract: We report herein a case of laryngeal sarcoidosis that was refractory to systemic corticosteroids, but that improved spontaneously. A 49-year-old woman complained of dysphagia and hoarseness with accompanying edematous swellings of both arytenoid regions. She was referred to our hospital after systemic corticosteroid therapy failed to achieve any improvement. Laryngoscopy showed marked edema of the epiglottis and both arytenoid regions. The flow-volume curve on spirometry showed flattening of the expiratory flows. Histopathological examination of the arytenoid region showed non-caseating epithelioid granulomas, and laryngeal sarcoidosis was diagnosed with the result of BAL study. She was observed without treatment as symptoms were mild. Although edema of the left arytenoid region seemed to be somewhat worsened after 6 months, she continued to be followed closely because of improvements in the flow-volume curve and increasing peak expiratory flow. By 1 year after onset, symptoms and epiglottal swelling had spontaneously improved.
authors.affiliation: Research Institute for Diseases of the Chest, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kyushu University Fukuoka, Japan.
authors.forename: Kazuya
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Tsubouchi
authors.affiliation: Research Institute for Diseases of the Chest, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kyushu University Fukuoka, Japan.
authors.forename: Naoki
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Hamada
authors.affiliation: Research Institute for Diseases of the Chest, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kyushu University Fukuoka, Japan ; Pathophysiological and Experimental Pathology, Department of Pathology, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kyushu University Fukuoka, Japan.
authors.forename: Kayo
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Ijichi
authors.affiliation: Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kyushu University Fukuoka, Japan.
authors.forename: Toshiro
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Umezaki
authors.affiliation: Research Institute for Diseases of the Chest, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kyushu University Fukuoka, Japan.
authors.forename: Koichi
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Takayama
authors.affiliation: Research Institute for Diseases of the Chest, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kyushu University Fukuoka, Japan.
authors.forename: Yoichi
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Nakanishi
keywords: Flow–volume curve; laryngeal involvement; sarcoidosis; spontaneous improvement