[Prognosis and indications of corticosteroid treatment of intrathoracic sarcoidosis--conclusions from a prospective study].

Preliminary results of a prospective clinical trial to evaluate the value of corticosteroid therapy of intrathoracic sarcoidosis had demonstrated that there were no differences between treated and untreated patients with regard to the clinical, radiological and functional outcome after several years. In one hundred and seventy two patients we could check the former results by identical tests after a longer follow-up period (mean 8,9 years) and by additional physiological assessments, i.e. Cstat, DLCO, DM, VC, which seem to be more significant for early detection of functional disorders in sarcoidosis. Again the findings showed no significant differences neither between patients treated with prednisolone for 12 or 6 months respectively nor when compared to the untreated group. In conclusion we do not treat patients with asymptomatic intrathoracic sarcoidosis and without extrapulmonary manifestations before the disease shows no regressive course within one year or when a progressive course is observed.