[Considerations about the incidence of sarcoidosis in the Lettish SSR (author's transl)]

In the Lettish SSR sarcoidosis was discovered in 292 women and 192 men in the period from 1958 to 1975. The average annual incidence rate per 10000 inhabitants was 3.09 in females and 2.04 in males. Contrary to this general predominance of females over males the incidence rate for boys was 4 to 5 times higher than for girls in the youngest age group ranging from 10 to 19 years. In the age group from 20 to 29 years there was also still noted a distinctly higher relative incidence in males but it was smaller in comparison with the younger group. The reasons for these age depending sex differences are unknown. The possible importance of endocrine processes for the pathogenesis of sarcoidosis is discussed.