Extract
We read with interest the correspondence from Mohapatra and colleagues regarding our paper “Effectiveness of infliximab in refractory FDG PET-positive sarcoidosis” [1]. We agree with Mohapatra and colleagues that the term refractory sarcoidosis is still under discussion. We defined refractory sarcoidosis in the methods section as “patients with severe sarcoidosis, unresponsive to first- and second-line treatment, or who have experienced severe side-effects from these agents”. Diagnosis of sarcoidosis was made according to American Thoracic Society/European Respiratory Society criteria [2], including biopsy. These criteria also describe exclusion of other differential diagnoses. Using the described definition for refractory sarcoidosis yields a very heterogeneous group of patients, consisting of sarcoidosis patients that need third line immunosuppressive therapies, e.g. biologicals such as infliximab.
Abstract
Considerations in managing FDG PET-positive sarcoidosis with infliximab therapy http://ow.ly/U0qUr
Footnotes
Conflict of interest: None declared.
- Received August 28, 2015.
- Accepted September 1, 2015.
- Copyright ©ERS 2016