Neurosarcoidosis

Abstract

The article represents the discussion of sarcoidosis involving the cranial nerves and meninges. It’s a rare disease difficult to diagnose. This form of the disease is a progressive lesion of the nervous system, characterized by granulomatous inflammation of the membranes and /or tissue of cerebrum or spinal cord, cranial and /or peripheral nerves. Clinical signs of the nervous system disorder found in sarcoidosis, are detected only in 5–15% of patients. They are often represented by symptoms of cranial nerve damage, meningeal syndrome and epileptic seizures. X-ray computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging of the brain do not reveal specific changes, however, they allow to exclude other structural lesions of the central nervous system and to identify neuroimaging signs, most common in the course of this disease. Diagnosis of neurosarcoidosis is possible in the presence of neurological symptoms, signs of multisystem lesions, and histological confirmation of non-caseous granulomatous inflammation in one or more organs. The article also represents a clinical observation of a patient with neurosarcoidosis, manifested by acute bilateral neuropathy of the facial nerves, unilateral neuropathy of the trigeminal nerve and meningism syndrome. The neuroimaging signs, often found in this disease, were revealed: the accumulation of contrast agent by the membranes of the brain and the tissue of cavum Meckeli. The course of the disease and diagnostic search, which made it possible to detect signs of multisystem lesion, are described. The diagnosis was confirmed by histological examination of the biopsy material of the intrathoracic lymph node. The results of neurosarcoidosis anti-inflammatory therapy are presented. The peculiarities influencing the choice of this type of treatment terms, are indicated.