Imaging in sarcoid disease

Area of Science:

• Radiology
• Immunology
• Systemic Inflammatory Diseases

Background:

• Sarcoidosis is a multisystem inflammatory disease defined by noncaseating granulomas.
• It commonly affects the lungs, skin, heart, and nervous system, presenting diverse clinical manifestations.
• Accurate diagnosis and management depend on understanding organ-specific involvement.

Purpose of the Study:

• To synthesize the imaging features of sarcoidosis across various organ systems.
• To emphasize practical imaging approaches for diagnosis and management.
• To identify future research directions in sarcoidosis imaging.

Main Methods:

• Review of imaging modalities including chest radiography, high-resolution computed tomography (CT), Fluorodeoxyglucose Positron Emission Tomography (FDG-PET), and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).
• Evaluation of imaging's role in diagnosing pulmonary, cardiac, cutaneous, musculoskeletal, hepatic, splenic, and neurological sarcoidosis.
• Synthesis of current literature on imaging in sarcoidosis management and treatment response monitoring.

Main Results:

• Pulmonary sarcoidosis is typically assessed using chest radiography and high-resolution CT.
• FDG-PET and cardiac MRI are vital for detecting cardiac and systemic involvement.
• MRI is essential for neurosarcoidosis, often complemented by FDG-PET for biopsy guidance and treatment monitoring.

Conclusions:

• Imaging plays a central role in the diagnosis, staging, and management of sarcoidosis.
• A comprehensive approach utilizing various imaging modalities is necessary for evaluating multisystem involvement.
• Further research is needed to refine imaging techniques and their application in sarcoidosis.