Sarcoidosis in the Middle East

Overview

Journal Ann Thorac Med

Specialty Pulmonary Medicine

Date 2019 Apr 23

PMID 31007761

Citations 2

Authors

B Jayakrishnan

Nasser Al-Busaidi

Saif Al-Mubaihsi

Omar A Al-Rawas

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Sarcoidosis, a systemic granulomatous disease of unknown cause, has been described worldwide and in all populations with notable differences in clinical characteristics, organ involvement, disease severity, and prognosis among different ethnic and racial groups. While the exact prevalence of sarcoidosis in the Middle East is unknown, studies from various countries in the region have reported the clinical characteristics of affected patients, along with a few anecdotal reports. A search of the MEDLINE and Google Scholar databases was conducted for relevant English-language articles using the terms "sarcoidosis" and "Middle East" or "sarcoidosis" and "Arabs." Subsequently, the names of individual countries were used as search terms, replacing "Middle East." Overall, the clinical picture of patients with sarcoidosis in the Middle East is similar to that reported elsewhere; for example, the disease was more frequent among females and respiratory complaints were the predominant symptoms. Within the region, most patients from Oman were older and female, with arthralgia, hypercalcemia, and eye involvement being more common. Constitutional symptoms were frequent, especially among patients from Iran. Cough was more common among patients from Kuwait and Iran, while dyspnea was the predominant symptom for Saudi patients. Erythema nodosum was more common in the Turkish population. Clustering was seen in patients with Stage I and II of the disease in all countries except Oman. Apart from those in Iran, the prognosis of most patients from the Middle East was excellent.

Citing Articles

First insights and future research perspectives from the sarcoidosis registry at the Medical University of Vienna.

Guttmann-Ducke C, Lutnik M, Gysan M, Sarova P, Milacek C, Bal C Sci Rep. 2025; 15(1):8644.

PMID: 40082706 PMC: 11906772. DOI: 10.1038/s41598-025-93708-9.

Elderly sarcoidosis in Japan.

Masumoto N, Watanabe K, Horita N, Hara Y, Kobayashi N, Kaneko T J Int Med Res. 2022; 50(12):3000605221142705.

PMID: 36562117 PMC: 9793039. DOI: 10.1177/03000605221142705.

The evaluation of interleukin-4 and interleukin-13 in the serum of pulmonary sarcoidosis and tuberculosis patients.

Abedini A, Naderi Z, Kiani A, Marjani M, Mortaz E, Ghorbani F J Res Med Sci. 2020; 25:24.

PMID: 32419781 PMC: 7213005. DOI: 10.4103/jrms.JRMS_74_19.

References

Uthman I, Bizri A, Shabb N, Khury M, Khalifeh M . Peritoneal sarcoidosis: case report and review of the literature. Semin Arthritis Rheum. 1999; 28(5):351-4. DOI: 10.1016/s0049-0172(99)80020-1. View

Samman Y, Ibrahim M, Wali S . Sarcoidosis in the western region of Saudi Arabia. Sarcoidosis Vasc Diffuse Lung Dis. 1999; 16(2):215-8. View

Costabel U, Hunninghake G . ATS/ERS/WASOG statement on sarcoidosis. Sarcoidosis Statement Committee. American Thoracic Society. European Respiratory Society. World Association for Sarcoidosis and Other Granulomatous Disorders. Eur Respir J. 1999; 14(4):735-7. DOI: 10.1034/j.1399-3003.1999.14d02.x. View

Baughman R, Teirstein A, Judson M, Rossman M, Yeager Jr H, Bresnitz E . Clinical characteristics of patients in a case control study of sarcoidosis. Am J Respir Crit Care Med. 2001; 164(10 Pt 1):1885-9. DOI: 10.1164/ajrccm.164.10.2104046. View

Rybicki B, Iannuzzi M, Frederick M, Thompson B, Rossman M, Bresnitz E . Familial aggregation of sarcoidosis. A case-control etiologic study of sarcoidosis (ACCESS). Am J Respir Crit Care Med. 2001; 164(11):2085-91. DOI: 10.1164/ajrccm.164.11.2106001. View

Gullapalli D, Phillips 2nd L . Neurologic manifestations of sarcoidosis. Neurol Clin. 2002; 20(1):59-83, vi. DOI: 10.1016/s0733-8619(03)00054-9. View

Douri T, Chawaf A, Alrefaee B . Cicatricial alopecia due to sarcoidosis. Dermatol Online J. 2003; 9(1):16. View

Gurkan O, Celik G, Kumbasar O, Kaya A, Alper D . Sarcoidosis in Turkey: 1954-2000. Ann Saudi Med. 2004; 24(1):36-9. PMC: 6147818. DOI: 10.5144/0256-4947.2004.36. View

Baughman R . Pulmonary sarcoidosis. Clin Chest Med. 2004; 25(3):521-30, vi. DOI: 10.1016/j.ccm.2004.04.006. View

10.

Diab S, Karnik A, Ouda B, Denath F, Fettich J, Francis I . Sarcoidosis in Arabs: the clinical profile of 20 patients and review of the literature. Sarcoidosis. 1991; 8(1):56-62. View

11.

Demirkok S, Basaranoglu M, Akinci E, Karayel T . Analysis of 275 patients with sarcoidosis over a 38 year period; a single-institution experience. Respir Med. 2006; 101(6):1147-54. DOI: 10.1016/j.rmed.2006.11.013. View

12.

Uthman I, Touma Z, Khoury M . Cardiac sarcoidosis responding to monotherapy with infliximab. Clin Rheumatol. 2007; 26(11):2001-3. DOI: 10.1007/s10067-007-0614-1. View

13.

Demirkok S, Basaranoglu M, Coker E, Karayel T . Seasonality of the onset of symptoms, tuberculin test anergy and Kveim positive reaction in a large cohort of patients with sarcoidosis. Respirology. 2007; 12(4):591-3. DOI: 10.1111/j.1440-1843.2007.01062.x. View

14.

Behbehani N, JayKrishnan B, Khadadah M, Hawa H, Farah Y . Clinical presentation of sarcoidosis in a mixed population in the middle east. Respir Med. 2007; 101(11):2284-8. DOI: 10.1016/j.rmed.2007.06.025. View

15.

Morimoto T, Azuma A, Abe S, Usuki J, Kudoh S, Sugisaki K . Epidemiology of sarcoidosis in Japan. Eur Respir J. 2007; 31(2):372-9. DOI: 10.1183/09031936.00075307. View

16.

Behbehani N, Jayakrishnan B, Khadadah M, Al-Sawi M . Long term prognosis of sarcoidosis in Arabs and Asians: predictors of good outcome. Sarcoidosis Vasc Diffuse Lung Dis. 2007; 23(3):209-14. View

17.

Petursdottir D, Haraldsdottir S, Gislason T, Gudbjornsson B . Clinical manifestation, prevalence and prognosis of sarcoid arthropathy. A nationwide study: the Icelandic Sarcoidosis Study. Sarcoidosis Vasc Diffuse Lung Dis. 2008; 24(2):113-20. View

18.

Chen E, Moller D . Etiology of sarcoidosis. Clin Chest Med. 2008; 29(3):365-77, vii. DOI: 10.1016/j.ccm.2008.03.011. View

19.

Mihailovic-Vucinic V, Jovanovic D . Pulmonary sarcoidosis. Clin Chest Med. 2008; 29(3):459-73, viii-ix. DOI: 10.1016/j.ccm.2008.03.002. View

20.

Rebeiz T, Mahfouz R, Taher A, Charafeddine K, Kanj N . Unusual presentation of a sarcoid patient: multiple arterial and venous thrombosis with chest lymphadenopathy. J Thromb Thrombolysis. 2008; 28(2):245-7. DOI: 10.1007/s11239-008-0270-6. View