The sarcoidosis movement and its personalities

Sarcoidosis has been recognized for 125 years, but in every generation it makes a chameleon-like change, so updating is needed every so often. In Jonathan Hutchinson's day it was a dermatological curiosity, which gradually evolved into a multisystem disorder associated with bone cysts, and, with the introduction of X-rays, respiratory abnormalities. During the 1960s, epidemiology showed that this disorder, involving all systems of the body, was widely disseminated throughout the world. Each fresh approach, by investigators in different disciplines, has provided a new dimension, particularly in biochemistry and immunology. Each advance in knowledge brings us nearer the enigma which continues to elude us, namely the aetiology of sarcoidosis (Tables 1 and 2). This paper draws attention to the pioneers and personalities of the movement, and records the succession of congresses which have helped to define it worldwide.