ARTICULAR MANIFESTATIONS OF SARCOIDOSIS - A STUDY OF 20 CASES WITH A REVIEW OF THE LITERATURE

Joint manifestations associated with sarcoidosis are reviewed based on twenty cases. Polyarthralgia was common. Acute arthritis occurring as part of Lofgren's syndrome was the most common pattern of arthritis, often antedating the development of erythema nodosum, and running a fa vorable course in most instances. The other forms of acute arthritis ( without erythema nodosum) were similar. Subacute polyarthritis was rar e and sometimes suggestive of rheumatoid arthritis. Very few patients developed chronic polyarthritis, whose salient features included an ab sence of joint destruction in most cases, a high rate of occurrence of tenosynovitis, and marked responsiveness to corticosteroid therapy.