Pattern of Acute Arthritis in Seventeen Patients with Sarcoidosis

Background: Sarcoidosis is a multisystemic disease that most commonly affected organ is lung but other organs such as the liver, skin, eye and musculoskeletal system can be affected (1). The most common rheumatologic findings in sarcoid patients are arthritis that can be acute or chronic but acute form is most common (14). Aim: The aim of this retrospective study was analysis of acute inflammation of joints in 17 patients with sarcoidosis during 2 years from January 2010 to December 2012. Subjects and Methods: This is a retrospective study of sarcoidosis patients with acute onset inflammation in joints during two years from January 2010 to December 2012 that refers to rheumatologic clinic of Mazandaran University of medical sciences. Data were analyzed using the SPSS version 20. Variables analyzed include age, sex, presence of arthritis/periarthritis, the number of involved joints, symmetricity of involvement and kind of arthritis as inflammatory, non inflammatory or septic. Results: At these study 17 sarcoidosis patients with acute onset of joint inflammation refers to our rheumatologic clinic. All of patients were adults between 18 to 52 years old with median age of 36.8 years old. Six patients (35%) were male and eleven patients (65%) were female. Arthritis occurs in 13 patients (76%) and periarthrtis in 10 patients (58%). At 6 patients (35%), arthritis and periarthritis occurs simultaneously. The most commonly involved join was ankle in 10(58%) cases. Another involved joints were knee, wrist and MCPs in 2 patients (12%) for each ones. Mid foot involvements occurs in 3(18%) and MCPs in one (6%) patient. In seven (41%) patients, arthritis were monoarthicular andat anotherseven (41%) of patients arthritis were oligoathicular. Only in 3 (13%) cases, arthritis were polyarthicular. All of arthritis were inflammatory and only in one case septic arthritis occurs. In 9(53%) of patients, arthritis were symmetric and in 8(47%) of cases were asymmetric. Conclusion: Inflammation of joints including arthritis and periarthrtis are important findings in acute sarcoidosis and must be considered in these patients. Lower extremity joint arthritis especially in ankles and in symmetric fashion are common rheumatologic complications of this disease.