UMEM Educational Pearls

Title: Neurosarcoidosis

Category: Neurology

Keywords: sarcoidosis, neurosarcoidosis, cranial nerve dysfunction (PubMed Search)

Posted: 12/26/2007 by Aisha Liferidge, MD (Updated: 1/9/2010)
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Less than 10% of sarcoidosis cases affect only the nervous system.
In such cases, granulomas form within nervous tissue and usually only occurs when there is significant systemic involvement.
Most sarcoid exacerbations affecting the nervous system are not recurrent.
Manifestations of neurosarcoidosis include:
- 1) Mononeuropathy - Cranial nerve dysfunction most common (Heerfordt syndrome = uveitis, fever, parotid gland inflammation, and facial nerve palsy).
- 2) Peripheral neuropathy - Sensation and/or motor dyusfunction
- 3) Central Nervous System - Hypothalamus/pituitary gland, cerebral cortex, cerebellum, spinal cord (rare)