Respiratory symptoms at presentation and long-term vital prognosis in patients with pulmonary sarcoidosis.

A follow-up of 254 patients with pulmonary sarcoidosis has been carried out after a median of 27 years from the diagnostic admission. Information on respiratory symptoms at entry was available in 80% of the patients. Cough and chronic bronchitis was present in 39% and 37%, respectively, whereas 41% reported breathlessness when walking and 25% reported breathlessness when undressing. In total, 51% had at least one respiratory symptom. All patients could be traced; eighty patients (31.5%) died during follow-up. A total of 17 died of sarcoidosis and a further 16 died of sarcoidosis-related diseases. All deaths from sarcoidosis were seen among patients with respiratory symptoms at presentation. For sarcoidosis and sarcoidosis-related deaths (N = 33), presence of one or more of the respiratory symptoms increased the risk significantly. For overall mortality, respiratory symptoms were also significant predictors; this was the case even after adjusting for age, sex, x-ray stage and lung function (FEV1 & TLC) at presentation. In conclusion, respiratory symptoms at the time of diagnosis are independently related to vital prognosis in pulmonary sarcoidosis.