[Prognostic value of some clinical, radiological, laboratory and functional parameters in sarcoidosis]

Sarcoidosis is a granulomatous disease of unknown origin characterized by the trend to spontaneous remission in the great number of the patients. Some patients require treatment with corticosteroids, which have significant toxicity. The aim of this study was to assess the prognostic role of many different parameters in the patients with sarcoidosis. 162 sarcoidosis patients were introduced to prospective study: 22 patients were treated because of deterioration in lung function or serious ocular disease and 140 were observed without therapy for two years. We assessed the age, sex, symptoms, serum activity of angiotensin converting enzyme (SACE), hypercalcaemia, hypercalciuria, splenomegaly and HRCT findings at the time of diagnosis. We analyzed the frequency of spontaneous remission of sarcoidosis in the untreated patients. We investigated correlation between these parameters and remission. Statistical comparisons were made with chi-square test. We also applied the k nearest neighbor (k-NN) rule and the leave one out method adopted from the statistical pattern recognition theory. From many different parameters only acute symptoms (erythema nodosum, fever, arthritis) and serum activity of ACE might be helpful in predicting prognosis in the patients with stage I of disease. The patient's age at onset less than 36 years, the appearance of erythema nodosum and ground-glass opacities on HRCT scans portend an excellent prognosis in the patients with stage II of disease.