TY - JOUR T1 - Sarcoidosis relapses in corticosteroid treated patients JF - European Respiratory Journal JO - Eur Respir J VL - 40 IS - Suppl 56 SP - 1688 AU - Diana Ionita AU - Cornelia Tudose AU - Dragos Bumbacea AU - Casandra Cilt AU - Ioan Paul Stoicescu Y1 - 2012/09/01 UR - http://erj.ersjournals.com/content/40/Suppl_56/1688.abstract N2 - Aim: Assessing the frequency of relapses and the disease characteristics associated with relapses in corticosteroid treated sarcoidosis patients.Subjects and methods: 125 patients with biopsy-proven sarcoidosis treated with corticosteroids for 6-18 months after diagnosis were evaluated. Number and type of relapses were noted during the follow-up period. The clinical and laboratory parameters were compared in patients with a relapse of the disease versus (vs) patients without relapses.Results: 38 patients (30%) had a sarcoidosis relapse, 2-42 months after the treatment stop (mean interval 11±13 months). The manifestations were clinical in 36 patients (similar symptoms as at diagnosis), radiological in 34 and functional in 26 (decreased diffusion capacity in 22 patients, pulmonary volumes in 13 and flows in 15).The relapses were seen in 7 patients with complete remission after the first treatment, 30 with partial remission and 1 with stationary evolution.The patients with relapses had more frequent interstitial lung disease at diagnosis compared to patients without relapses (88 vs 59%, p=0.007), more frequent duration <1 year of the first treatment (42 vs 10%, p=0.007), more severe diffusion capacity impairment (26 vs 10%, p=0.044) or absence of complete remission after the first treatment (81 vs 45%, p=0.003). No other significant differences were seen in clinical or laboratory parameters.Conclusions: Almost one third of the sarcoidosis patients in which corticosteroid treatment was necessary at diagnosis had a disease relapse during the follow-up period. Disease severity at diagnosis or at the end of the first corticosteroid treatment and the short duration of the treatment were associated with the occurrence of a relapse. ER -