EC Microbiology

Several post-COVID-19 inflammatory disorders and autoimmune diseases have been discovered [1] since global COVID-19 pandemic started [2]. Association between these diseases is still to be investigated [2]. Common genes between COVID-19 and sarcoidosis are demonstrated in figure 1 and 2 [3]. Nevertheless, sarcoidosis organ involvement, demographics, and type of sarcoidosis treatment at the time of COVID-19 diagnosis are related to hospital admission, non-invasive ventilation or high flow oxygenation, intubation [4]. A retrospective hospital-based cohort study of 585 French sarcoidosis patients in 2017, demonstrated an estimate of a 5% frequency of severe infections that resulting in hospital admission and death [5]. A typical HRCT feature in sarcoidosis is the presence of well-defined micronodules scattered along the broncho-vascular bundle, veins, fissures and pleura in a characteristic lymphatic distribution. Occasionally, “galaxy sign”, a highly suggestive of pulmonary sarcoidosis (predominance of a mid-to-upper lung zones) may demonstrates conglomerate masses that are surrounded by a multitude of micronodules (Figure 3) [6].

1. Galeotti C and Baryl J. “Autoimmune and inflammatory diseases following COVID-19”. Nature Reviews Rheumatology 8 (2020): 413-414.
2. Racil H., et al. “Can coronavirus disease 2019 induce sarcoidosis: a case report”. Thoracic Research and Practice 1 (2023): 45-48.
3. Mogal R., et al. “Common genetic aspects between COVID-19 and sarcoidosis: a network-based approach using expression data”. Biochemistry and Biophysics Reports 29 (2022): 101219.
4. Nadeem O., et al. “Outcome in patients with sarcoidosis diagnosed with COVID-19”. Presentation at Chest 2021 annual meeting (2021).
5. Dureault A., et al. “Severe infections in sarcoidosis: incidence, predictors and long-term outcome in a cohort of 585 patients”. Medicine (Baltimore)49 (2017): e8846.
6. Bernardinello N., et al. “Pulmonary sarcoidosis: diagnosis and differential diagnosis”. Diagnostics (Basel)9 (2021): 1558.
7. Dhomps A., et al. “Isolated muscular sarcoidosis revealed by hypercalcemia”. Clinical Nuclear Medicine10 (2019): 824-825.
8. Ashjan K., et al. “¹⁸F-FDG PET/MRI for diagnosis and treatment efficacy evaluation of spinal sarcoidosis”. Clinical Nuclear Medicine1 (2024): e28-e30.
9. Alan S and Dagmar HS. “FDG PET of isolated right ventricular sarcoidosis”. Clinical Nuclear Medicine2 (2023): 184-185.