Ethnic differences in the clinical features of sarcoidosis in South-East London

The records of 91 patients who conformed to rigid criteria for the diagnosis of sarcoidosis were studied. These included 36 patients of West Indian and 47 of Caucasian origin. Comparison of these two groups showed a significantly later age of onset in the West Indians, who were also more liable to present with respiratory symptoms, particularly chest discomfort, to have eye involvement and palpable lymphadenopathy and to have a more disseminated disease than the Caucasian group. However, Caucasians were far more likely to have erythema nodosum. There was a tendency for the onset of symptoms in the whole group to occur between November to February. Differences in sarcoidosis between ethnic groups within the same geographical area suggest variable host responses which may be dependant on their immunological response. The later age of onset of sarcoidosis seen the West Indians might be explained by their later exposure to an environmental transmissible agent.