Systemic manifestations and enzyme studies in sarcoidosis with neurologic involvement

The dissemination and activity of systemic disease was evaluated retrospectively in 50 patients with neurosarcoidosis, 24 of whom presented with neurologic symptoms. During follow-up, five patients never developed detectable systemic disease. In 26 patients, sarcoidosis had previously been diagnosed, but in 11 (42%) of them the neurologic symptoms were initially not connected with this disease. During follow-up, extraneural features were those of sarcoidosis in general. However, 23 patients (46%) had normal chest X-ray on admission to neurologic examinations. Fourteen (35%) of 40 examined patients had ocular changes, 13 (33%) of 39 hypercalciuria and 13 (26%) of 50 skin manifestations. Serum angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) was elevated in only 31% of the patients. Measureable amounts of ACE were recorded in the cerebrospinal fluid from 13 of 17 examined patients. During follow-up the activity of neurosarcoidosis seemed to be linked to the course of systemic disease in general.