Sarcoidosis

  • A disease of unknown cause characterised by non-caseating granulomata
  • can affect any organ at any age but most commonly affects the chest in young adults
    • bilateral hilar lymphadenopathy
  • cough, fever, arthralgia, malaise, erythema nodosum
  • also affects
    • skin – rash
    • eyes – uveitis
    • heart
    • CNS
    • Renal
    • musculoskeletal system
  • Two Musculoskeletal Forms:
    • Symmetrical Small Joint Polyarthropathy without Bony Involvement
      • Erythema Nodosum
      • Hilar lymphadenopathy
    • Chronic Granulomatosis Bony Involvement
      • Polyarthritis
      • Tenosynovitis
      • Punched out lucent bony “cyst”
      • Especially hand & feet
Sarcoidosis, histology of non-caseating sarcoid granulomas
Histology of non-caseating sarcoid granulomas. Image by Jensflorian, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0.

Treatment

  • NSAID

Reviewed by Professor Phong Tran, Head of Orthopaedic Surgery, Western Health. Last updated 10 October 2026.