THE MODE OF PRESENTATION OF SARCOIDOSIS IN FINLAND AND HOKKAIDO, JAPAN - A COMPARATIVE-ANALYSIS OF 571 FINNISH AND 686 JAPANESE PATIENTS

We compared the clinical picture of sarcoidosis in patients diagnosed at Mjolbolsta hospital in Finland in 1955-1987 with those diagnosed in Sapporo in 1964-1988. The female:male ratios showed a slight female p redominance. The mean age (SD) at diagnosis was 41.5 (13.0) years al M jolbolsta and 30.0 (15.4) years in Sapporo. In both series, half of th e patients had been detected at mass x-ray surveys. The presenting sym ptoms varied considerably among the symptomatic patients. At Mjolbolst a hospital, 189 patients (33%) had cough, 21% fever, 21% general malai se, 18% dyspnoea, 18% erythema nodosum, 16% joint pain and only 27 pat ients (5%) had eye symptoms. In Sapporo, 245 patients (41%) had eye sy mptoms, 18 (4%) had enlarged peripheral lymph nodes, 14 (3%) had cough , 10 (2%) had fever. Erythema nodosum did not occur as a presenting sy mptom in Sapporo. The chest radiographs showed bilateral hilar lymphad enopathy (BHL, stage I) in 48% of the Mjolbolsta patients and in 57% o f the Sapporo patients. Stage II lesions were seen in 39% and 20%, and stage III lesions in 12% and 5% respectively. Only 1% had a normal ch est radiograph at Mjolbolsta hospital as compared with 18% in Sapporo. The Sapporo patients were more obstructive but the proportion of smok ers was also higher. No difference in diffusion capacity was seen.