Treatment of Granulomatous Inflammation in Pulmonary Sarcoidosis

Abstract

The management of pulmonary sarcoidosis is a complex interplay of disease characteristics, the impact of medications, and patient preferences. Foremost, it is important to weigh the risk of anti-granulomatous treatment with the benefits of lung preservation and improvement in quality of life. Because of its high spontaneous resolution rate, pulmonary sarcoidosis should only be treated in cases of significant symptoms due to granulomatous inflammation, lung function decline, or substantial inflammation on imaging that can lead to irreversible fibrosis. The longstanding basis of treatment has historically been corticosteroid therapy for the control of granulomatous inflammation. However, several corticosteroid-sparing options have increasing evidence for use in refractory disease, inability to taper steroids to an acceptable dose, or in those with toxicity to corticosteroids. Treatment of sarcoidosis should be individualized for each patient due to the heterogeneity of the clinical course, comorbid conditions, response to therapy, and tolerance of medication side effects.