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Sarcoidosis presenting in infancy: a rare occurrence
1Department of Internal Medicine, USC School of Medicine, Los Angeles 90033, USA.
Insights
Pediatric sarcoidosis is rare, especially in infants, presenting differently than in adults. This case highlights a multisystem illness in an infant with sarcoidosis, eventually achieving remission.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Rheumatology
- Pulmonology
- Immunology
Background:
- Sarcoidosis is uncommon in children, with presentation varying by age.
- Infantile sarcoidosis is rare and clinically resembles juvenile rheumatoid arthritis, differing from adult disease patterns.
Observation:
- A case of infantile sarcoidosis diagnosed at age five in a patient presenting at three months old.
- The illness presented as a multisystemic condition without pulmonary involvement.
Findings:
- The patient received prolonged corticosteroid and immunosuppressive therapy.
- The child experienced a complete remission of sarcoidosis by age 18.
Implications:
- Early diagnosis of infantile sarcoidosis is challenging due to its atypical presentation.
- Long-term treatment can lead to complete remission in pediatric sarcoidosis cases.
Abstract:
Sarcoidosis is infrequent in children. Clinical features of sarcoidosis occurring in children 8-15 years old include pulmonary, lymphnodes and ocular involvement. The picture is similar to that of adult-sarcoidosis. Sarcoidosis in infants, however, is rare and it differs from the adult disease. Sarcoidosis occurring in infancy has features clinically similar to that of juvenile rheumatoid arthritis. The case presented here is that of an infant who developed sarcoidosis at the age of 3 months. Her illness had all the features of a multisystem illness except for the hilar or parenchymal lung involvement. Because of the complicated and unusual illness the diagnosis of sarcoidosis was not established till the child was five years old. She received corticosteroids and immunosuppressive treatment in varying doses for a long time. Now at the age of 18, the patient's disease seems to have undergone a complete remission.