Radiation therapy for neurosarcoidosis: report of three cases from a single institution

Sarcoidosis is a chronic, multisystemic disorder of unknown etiology. The incidence of central nervous system involvement is as high as 5%. Although steroids have been the cardinal treatment for sarcoidosis, many patients become symptomatically unresponsive to them. Other patients may suffer from glucose intolerance, cataracts, and obesity, which are adverse effects of high-dose steroids. Various reports in the literature suggest that some chemotherapeutic agents and/or radiation may be useful in these situations. We present three patients with neurosarcoidosis who were treated with radiation at a single institution. We also review previous reports on radiation-treated neurosarcoid patients. While the results vary, some patients clearly derive symptomatic benefits from low-dose radiation. Since the side effects of low-dose cranial irradiation are minimal, it may be prudent to use radiation therapy for patients who are refractory to steroids or who suffer adversely from high-dose steroids.