[Corticosteroid treatment in pulmonary sarcoidosis]

Indication, dose and duration of corticosteroids in treating pulmonary sarcoidosis have discussed. Although corticosteroids are effective in improving the chest X-ray findings of sarcoidosis patients with in short term treatment, it is doubtful that corticosteroids affects the clinical course of sarcoidosis and are beneficial with long term treatment. It is agreed that asymptomatic patients with Stage I should not be treated while symptomatic patients with Stage II and Stage III should be treated. Asymptomatic patients with Stage II and Stage III need to be followed closely. The initial dose of treatment is 30 mg prednisone daily, and this is gradually reduced to the maintenance level of 10 to 15 mg. The total duration of prednisolone treatment is about 1.5 year or even more.