Sarcoidosis of the anterior visual pathway: successes and failures

Four patients with progressive visual deterioration were found to have sarcoidosis involving the anterior visual pathway. They all developed chiasmal dysfunction and bilateral optic neuropathy, which responded to megadose corticosteroid therapy. When an attempt was made to withdraw the corticosteroids, the patients experienced a recrudescence of visual dysfunction and were subsequently unable to tolerate the corticosteroid dose levels necessary to maximise their visual potential. Each patient was treated with high-voltage radiation therapy, totalling up to 4500 rads. The beneficial response obtained was temporary, and immunosuppressive therapy with azathioprine or chlorambucil was instituted, preventing further deterioration.