Reader response: Clinical and MRI phenotypes of sarcoidosis-associated myelopathy
Otto JesusHernandez Fustes, Neurologist, Clinical Neurophysiology, CHC-UFPR
Submitted June 26, 2020
I read with great interest the article by Murphy et al.1 We think the article offers a good opportunity for resident physicians and specialists to review neurologic manifestations of sarcoidosis.
Sarcoidosis is an auto-inflammatory disorder characterized by the development of granulomatous inflammation in affected tissues. Case series comprising 19–54 cases showed that around half of patients have isolated cranial neuropathies—of which the facial nerve is by far the most common—with peripheral nerve involvement in 10% and muscle involvement in 5%, and with brain and spinal cord lesions accounting for the remainder—16%–70% of these series.2
Murphy and colleagues make an excellent presentation of the clinical and imaging characteristics (MRI) of the largest published series of patients. Most patients had sensory symptoms. As a suggestion, we would like the authors to have complemented the assessment with a neurophysiological study with the electroneuromyography and somatosensory evoked potential. Electrodiagnostic testing may be useful in patients with suspected myelopathy, neuropathy or myopathy.
We congratulate the authors for the report, and the opportunity to delve into a topic so interesting that it will serve as a motivation for further studies.
Disclosure
The author reports no relevant disclosures. Contact journal@neurology.org for full disclosures.
References
Murphy OC, Salazar-Camelo A, Jimenez JA, et al. Clinical and MRI phenotypes of sarcoidosis-associated myelopathy. Neurol Neuroimmunol Neuroinflamm 2020;7:e722.
I read with great interest the article by Murphy et al.1 We think the article offers a good opportunity for resident physicians and specialists to review neurologic manifestations of sarcoidosis.
Sarcoidosis is an auto-inflammatory disorder characterized by the development of granulomatous inflammation in affected tissues. Case series comprising 19–54 cases showed that around half of patients have isolated cranial neuropathies—of which the facial nerve is by far the most common—with peripheral nerve involvement in 10% and muscle involvement in 5%, and with brain and spinal cord lesions accounting for the remainder—16%–70% of these series.2
Murphy and colleagues make an excellent presentation of the clinical and imaging characteristics (MRI) of the largest published series of patients. Most patients had sensory symptoms. As a suggestion, we would like the authors to have complemented the assessment with a neurophysiological study with the electroneuromyography and somatosensory evoked potential. Electrodiagnostic testing may be useful in patients with suspected myelopathy, neuropathy or myopathy.
We congratulate the authors for the report, and the opportunity to delve into a topic so interesting that it will serve as a motivation for further studies.
Disclosure
The author reports no relevant disclosures. Contact journal@neurology.org for full disclosures.
References