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Front Neurol 2021 20;12:672648. Epub 2021 Apr 20.

Department of Neurology, University Hospital Giessen and Marburg, Giessen, Germany.

Sarcoidosis is a rare, systemic inflammatory disease and can involve multiple organs, especially the lungs and lymph nodes. The nervous system is affected in <10 percent of patients, which is called neurosarcoidosis. Neurosarcoidosis can cause a multitude of symptoms and can mimic various diseases. Read More

Vaccines (Basel) 2021 Apr 29;9(5). Epub 2021 Apr 29.

NIHR, Leeds Biomedical Research Centre, The Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust & Leeds Institute of Rheumatic and Musculoskeletal Medicine, University of Leeds, Leeds LS9 7TF, UK.

Background: Infectious diseases and vaccines can occasionally cause new-onset or flare of immune-mediated diseases (IMDs). The adjuvanticity of the available SARS-CoV-2 vaccines is based on either TLR-7/8 or TLR-9 agonism, which is distinct from previous vaccines and is a common pathogenic mechanism in IMDs.

Methods: We evaluated IMD flares or new disease onset within 28-days of SARS-CoV-2 vaccination at five large tertiary centres in countries with early vaccination adoption, three in Israel, one in UK, and one in USA. Read More

J Investig Med High Impact Case Rep 2021 Jan-Dec;9:23247096211012191

Children's Healthcare of Atlanta, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA.

Neurosarcoidosis is a rare phenomenon in the pediatric population, with only a few cases reported in the literature worldwide. While hypothalamo-pituitary involvement is known to occur, direct infiltration of the pituitary gland and isolated anterior pituitary dysfunction without diabetes insipidus is seldom observed. A high index of suspicion is required for diagnosis of neurosarcoidosis, and treatment can be challenging due to lack of standardized guidelines. Read More

Clin Rheumatol 2021 Apr 27. Epub 2021 Apr 27.

Department of Neurology, Amsterdam Neuroscience, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam UMC, P.O. Box 22660, Meibergdreef 9, 1100 DD, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.

Objective: We studied genetic risk factors associated with sarcoidosis within a family with a high prevalence of this disease.

Methods: We studied 41 members of a family with a high rate of sarcoidosis, including an index patient with treatment-resistant neurosarcoidosis. Whole genome sequencing was performed for six affected family members and variations associated with loss of function were filtered out as candidate genes. Read More

Neurol Clin 2021 05 31;39(2):589-614. Epub 2021 Mar 31.

Lahey Hospital & Medical Center, Beth Israel Lahey Health, 41 Mall Road, Burlington, MA 01803, USA.

Over the past decade, understanding of autoimmune neurologic disorders has exponentially increased. Many patients present as a neurologic emergency and require timely evaluation with rapid management and intensive care. However, the diagnosis is often either missed or delayed, which may lead to a significant burden of disabling morbidity and even mortality. Read More

J Community Hosp Intern Med Perspect 2021 Mar 23;11(2):224-227. Epub 2021 Mar 23.

Department of Internal Medicine, Reading Hospital, Reading, PA, USA.

Sarcoidosis is a systemic inflammatory condition causing increased immune system activity and manifesting as noncaseating granulomatous disease with the ability to affect multiple organ systems. Neurosarcoidosis is an uncommon presentation, with just 5-10% of patients with sarcoidosis experiencing intracranial disease. The diagnosis of neurosarcoidosis can be difficult, especially given the overlap of imaging findings with more common intracranial lesions. Read More

J Neurol 2021 Apr 21. Epub 2021 Apr 21.

Department of Molecular Neurology and Therapeutics, Kumamoto University Hospital, 1-1-1, Honjo, Chuo-ku, Kumamoto, 860-8556, Japan.

Objective: To determine whether autonomic dysfunction in neurosarcoidosis is associated with anti-ganglionic acetylcholine receptor (gAChR) antibodies, which are detected in autoimmune autonomic ganglionopathy.

Methods: We retrospectively extracted cases of sarcoidosis from 1787 serum samples of 1,381 patients between 2012 and 2018. Anti-gAChR antibodies against the α3 and β4 subunit were measured by luciferase immunoprecipitation to confirm the clinical features of each case. Read More

Can J Neurol Sci 2021 Apr 12:1-7. Epub 2021 Apr 12.

Lung 2021 04 7;199(2):147-153. Epub 2021 Apr 7.

Department of Medicine, Oregon Health & Science University, 3181 SW Sam Jackson Park Rd. Mail Code OP09, Portland, OR, 97239, USA.

This is a prospective, open-label, proof-of-concept study of tofacitinib, a Janus kinase inhibitor, as a steroid-sparing therapy in corticosteroid-dependent pulmonary sarcoidosis. Five patients with corticosteroid-dependent pulmonary sarcoidosis were treated with tofacitinib 5 mg twice daily. The primary endpoint was a ≥ 50% reduction in corticosteroids at week 16 with no worsening in pulmonary function or respiratory symptoms. Read More

Audiol Neurootol 2021 Apr 6:1-7. Epub 2021 Apr 6.

Assistance Publique Hôpitaux de Paris, GH Pitié-Salpêtrière, Service ORL, Unité Fonctionnelle Implants Auditifs, Sorbonne Université, Paris, France.

Introduction: Audiovestibular symptoms are rare in sarcoidosis, but they may also be the first manifestation of the disease. Sudden or progressive bilateral hearing loss is usually associated with vestibular impairment. The mechanism of hearing loss remains unclear, but clinical presentation and magnetic resonance imaging suggest a retrocochlear site for the lesion in most patients. Read More

Cells 2021 Mar 31;10(4). Epub 2021 Mar 31.

Department of Internal Medicine, Lyon University Hospital, 69007 Lyon, France.

Sarcoidosis is a multi-system disease of unknown etiology characterized by the formation of granulomas in various organs. It affects people of all ethnic backgrounds and occurs at any time of life but is more frequent in African Americans and Scandinavians and in adults between 30 and 50 years of age. Sarcoidosis can affect any organ with a frequency varying according to ethnicity, sex and age. Read More

Neurol Int 2021 Mar 25;13(2):130-142. Epub 2021 Mar 25.

Department of Neurology, Rockefeller Neuroscience Institute, West Virginia University, Morgantown, WV 26505, USA.

The involvement of the central nervous system in sarcoidosis can manifest with a variety of neurological symptoms, and most of them can be nonspecific. The diagnosis of neurosarcoidosis (NS) can therefore be very challenging without a tissue biopsy. Both computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) are important imaging modalities in the diagnosis of NS, and MRI is the modality of choice due to its superior soft-tissue contrast resolution. Read More

Infect Dis Rep 2021 Mar 1;13(1):181-186. Epub 2021 Mar 1.

Division of Infectious Diseases, Capital Health Regional Medical Center, Trenton, NJ 08638, USA.

Central nervous system (CNS) tuberculosis is a rare manifestation of all tuberculosis presentations. The incidence of brain tuberculoma is increasing in developed countries due to HIV infection and immigration from tuberculosis-endemic countries. Symptoms and radiologic findings of CNS tuberculosis can be non-specific and lead to misdiagnosis or mistreatment. Read More

J Neurol Neurosurg Psychiatry 2021 Mar 30. Epub 2021 Mar 30.

Department of Neurology, Division of Neuroimmunology and Glial Biology, University of California, San Francisco (UCSF), San Francisco CA 94158, California, USA

J Neuroendocrinol 2021 Mar;33(3):e12954

1st Department of Propaedeutic and Internal Medicine, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Athens, Greece.

Diabetes insipidus (DI) is a well-recognised transient or permanent complication following transsphenoidal surgery for pituitary adenomas or other sellar/parasellar lesions. However, data regarding the prevalence of pre-operative DI in sellar/parasellar lesions other than pituitary adenomas are scarce. We systematically reviewed the existing data for defining the prevalence of DI before any treatment in adult patients with sellar/parasellar lesions, excluding pituitary adenomas and metastatic lesions. Read More

Taiwan J Ophthalmol 2021 Jan-Mar;11(1):104-107. Epub 2021 Jan 25.

Department of Ophthalmology, Emory Eye Center, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, USA.

Neurosarcoidosis is a rare complication of sarcoidosis and typically presents as acute cranial neuropathies. Neurosarcoidosis can rarely cause an inflammatory optic neuropathy, resembles an optic neuritis and even more rarely can cause an optic perineuritis. Although concomitant optic neuritis and optic perineuritis have been reported in other inflammatory conditions, such as myelin oligodendrocyte antibody-associated disease, spatially-distinct optic neuritis, and optic perineuritis has not been previously described in neurosarcoidosis. Read More

QJM 2021 Mar 23. Epub 2021 Mar 23.

Department of Neurosurgery, Bahçeşehir University School of Medicine, Göztepe Medical Park Training and Education Hospital, Istanbul/Turkey.

Tidsskr Nor Laegeforen 2021 Mar 22;141(5). Epub 2021 Mar 22.

Background: Neurosarcoidosis is a rare form of sarcoidosis that affects the nervous system. The aim of the study was to survey clinical manifestations, findings from assessments and treatment strategies for patients with neurosarcoidosis.

Material And Method: The study performed a retrospective assessment of 17 patients with definitive, probable and possible neurosarcoidosis diagnosed in the period 2008-2019 at the Department of Neurology, Haukeland University Hospital. Read More

Cureus 2021 Feb 2;13(2):e13076. Epub 2021 Feb 2.

Neurology, Liberty University College of Osteopathic Medicine, Lynchburg, USA.

Neurosarcoidosis (NS) is a rare manifestation of sarcoidosis that lacks an organized body of knowledge regarding its diagnosis and management. There exists no clearly defined diagnostic criteria to make the diagnosis. To further complicate things, biopsy of the nervous system tissue remains complicated and not easily accomplished due to the sensitivity of the tissue and the subsequent deficits it could produce. Read More

Brain Sci 2021 Feb 14;11(2). Epub 2021 Feb 14.

Rheumatology Research Unit, Odense University Hospital, J.B. Winsloewsvej 4, 5000 Odense, Denmark.

Background: Damage to axonal cells releases neurofilament light chain (NFL) into the cerebrospinal fluid and plasma. The objective of this study was to investigate NFL as a potential biomarker of disease activity in neurosarcoidosis. MRIs were graded according to enhancing lesions at different central nervous system (CNS) sites. Read More

World Neurosurg 2021 Feb;146:401-402

Division of Neurosurgery, IRCCS Istituto Giannina Gaslini, Genova, Italy.

Case Rep Neurol Med 2021 28;2021:5952724. Epub 2021 Jan 28.

Department of Neurology, American University of Beirut Medical Center, Beirut, Lebanon.

Introduction: Spinal neurosarcoidosis is a rare disease that can manifest as myelopathy, radiculopathy, or cauda equine syndrome. Spinal epidural lipomatosis is also a rare condition resulting from overgrowth of epidural fat tissue causing compressive myelopathy. To our knowledge, there are no reports linking epidural lipomatosis and spinal neurosarcoidosis. Read More

Sarcoidosis Vasc Diffuse Lung Dis 2020 16;37(4):e2020009. Epub 2020 Dec 16.

Department of Medicine, Albany Medical College, Albany NY, USA.

Background: It has been suggested that sarcoidosis patients, especially those on immunosuppressive medications, are at increased risk for COVID-19 infection and more severe disease.

Methods: A questionnaire was developed in four languages (English, Dutch, Italian, and Spanish). The questionnaire queried whether patients had been infected with COVID-19 and outcome of the infection. Read More

JAMA Neurol 2021 Apr;78(4):491-492

University of Colorado, Department of Child Neurology, Aurora.

Pain Med 2021 Feb 9. Epub 2021 Feb 9.

Restore Orthopedics and Spine Center, Orange, CA, USA.

Continuum (Minneap Minn) 2021 02;27(1):225-263

Purpose Of Review: This article reviews the neuroimaging of disorders of the spinal cord and cauda equina, with a focus on MRI. An anatomic approach is used; diseases of the extradural, intradural-extramedullary, and intramedullary (parenchymal) compartments are considered, and both neoplastic and non-neoplastic conditions are covered. Differentiating imaging features are highlighted. Read More

J Neurol 2021 Jan 30. Epub 2021 Jan 30.

Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Headley way, Headington, OX3 9DU, UK.

Introduction: Neurosarcoidosis is associated with a significant degree of morbidity and mortality and its treatments are varied and complex. There is a paucity of information in current literature on patterns of treatment and long term outcomes. This study aimed to evaluate the clinical outcomes and responses to immunosuppressive therapy in a large cohort of neurosarcoidosis patients . Read More

Front Med (Lausanne) 2020 11;7:594275. Epub 2021 Jan 11.

Staten Island University Hospital, New York, NY, United States.

Sarcoidosis, a systemic granulomatous disease of unknown etiology, may mimic other conditions at presentation often resulting in delayed diagnosis. These conditions include infections, neoplasms, autoimmune, cardiovascular, and drug-induced diseases. This review highlights the most common sarcoidosis mimics that often lead to pitfalls in diagnosis and delay in appropriate treatment. Read More

Acta Radiol Open 2021 Jan 11;10(1):2058460120985519. Epub 2021 Jan 11.

Department of Radiology, Lillebaelt Hospital, Vejle Hospital, Vejle, Denmark.

Sarcoidosis is a granulomatous multisystem disease of unknown etiology. Typically, the disease affects the lungs, causing enlargement of the mediastinal lymph nodes, but other organs can be affected. Neurosarcoidosis is reported in 5-10% of the patients. Read More

Neurosciences (Riyadh) 2020 Oct;25(5):406-411

College of Medicine, King Saud bin Abdulaziz University for Health Sciences (KSAU-HS), Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. E-mail:

Patients with isolated neurosarcoidosis (NS) can present with neurological symptoms that mimic other neurologic conditions, such as multiple sclerosis (MS). In this article, we present a case of 25-year-old man with a transverse myelitis. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the brain and spine showed several, periventricular, infratentorial, and spinal cord white matter lesions. Read More