Research Unit of Biomedicine and Internal Medicine, University of Oulu, Oulu, Finland
Center of Internal and Respiratory Medicine and Medical Research Center (MRC) Oulu, Oulu University Hospital, Oulu, Finland.
BMJ Open Respir Res. 2024 Aug 21;11(1):e002461. doi: 10.1136/bmjresp-2024-002461.
The prevalence of sarcoidosis is known to be high in the Nordic countries. There are no recent research data on the incidence or prevalence of sarcoidosis in Finland. Our aim was to investigate the epidemiology of sarcoidosis in Finland through a retrospective registry-based study.
We made an information request to the Hilmo database on patients who had been treated in Finnish specialised care with a main diagnosis related to sarcoidosis. Data were requested for the period 1 January-31 December for the years 2002, 2012 and 2022. In addition, we examined the age and gender distribution and regional differences in these variables between the five university hospital districts covering the whole of Finland.
The incidence of sarcoidosis was 17‒19/100 000/year throughout the follow-up period. The prevalence of sarcoidosis in the ≥18-year-old population had risen from 85/100 000 in 2002-106/100 000 in 2022. There were considerable differences between university hospital districts: The highest prevalence rate was 170/100 000 in the Tampere University Hospital district in 2022, which was twice as high as in the Helsinki University Hospital district (84/100 000). The proportion of pulmonary sarcoidosis in all sarcoidosis cases decreased from 62% to 45% while the proportion of multiorgan sarcoidosis (D86.8) increased from 11% to 34%. The incidence of sarcoidosis was 15/100 000 and the prevalence was 82/100 000 in the age groups of ≥60 years in 2002. In 2022, the incidence in this same age group had risen to 20/100 000 and the prevalence to 109/100 000. In the ≥60-year-old population, the proportion of D86.8 increased from 11% to 35%.
Sarcoidosis was a more common disease in Finland than in previous studies. Multiorgan sarcoidosis among the elderly has increased over the past 20 years. This might be explained by changes in environmental factors associated with sarcoidosis. Significant regional differences in prevalence might be partly explained by familial clustering.
结节病的患病率在北欧国家很高。芬兰最近没有结节病发病率或患病率的研究数据。我们的目的是通过回顾性基于登记的研究调查芬兰结节病的流行病学。
我们向 Hilmo 数据库发出信息请求，以获取在芬兰专门医疗中心接受治疗的、主要诊断与结节病相关的患者的数据。请求的数据时间为 2002 年、2012 年和 2022 年 1 月 1 日至 12 月 31 日。此外，我们检查了年龄和性别分布以及这些变量在覆盖芬兰全境的五个大学医院区之间的地区差异。
整个随访期间，结节病的发病率为 17-19/100000/年。≥18 岁人群中结节病的患病率从 2002 年的 85/100000 上升到 2022 年的 106/100000。大学医院区之间存在很大差异：坦佩雷大学医院区的患病率最高，为 2022 年的 170/100000，是赫尔辛基大学医院区（84/100000）的两倍。所有结节病病例中肺结节病的比例从 62%下降到 45%，而多器官结节病（D86.8）的比例从 11%上升到 34%。2002 年，≥60 岁年龄组的结节病发病率为 15/100000，患病率为 82/100000。2022 年，同一年龄组的发病率上升至 20/100000，患病率上升至 109/100000。≥60 岁人群中，D86.8 的比例从 11%上升到 35%。
结节病在芬兰比以往研究更为常见。过去 20 年来，老年人的多器官结节病有所增加。这可能是与结节病相关的环境因素发生变化所致。患病率的显著地区差异部分可以用家族聚集来解释。
