Diseases Coexisting with Sarcoidosis and Cost of their Treatment in Silesian Voivodeship (Poland)

Abstract

Objectives: Sarcoidosis is a complex systemic disease with many symptoms of unknown etiology. The chronic course of sarcoidosis often allows it to co-occur with other diseases. A coexisting different form of sarcoidosis in some studies and no data regarding the costs of treatment justify the aim of the study. This study aims to assess a different form of sarcoidosis because no current data exist regarding the cost of this treatment. Methods: The epidemiological and economic analysis focused on diseases coexisting with sarcoidosis in the adult population of the Silesian Voivodeship (Poland), from 2011 to 2015, was conducted based on the secondary epidemiological data. The study involved 2,922 cases of the primary diagnosis of sarcoidosis (code D86 according to ICD-10) and 505 cases of sarcoidosis coexisting with another. Results: One out of ten patients with sarcoidosis has been found to be diagnosed with at least one comorbid disease. The comorbid disease includes diseases of the circulatory and respiratory system as well as endocrine, neoplasms, nutritional and metabolic diseases. The average unit cost of sarcoidosis therapy increases with the number of comorbidities and depends on the nature of the primary diagnosis and type of medical service. Conclusion: The epidemiological situation of diseases coexisting with sarcoidosis has been found to be similar to those reported in other European countries. However, neoplasms are one of the most common frequent comorbidities in Poland. The results obtained confirmed the strong impact of comorbidities on the cost of treatment of sarcoidosis.