Last update:
14-Oct-2014

Neurosarcoidosis is a rare clinical manifestation of sarcoidosis of unknown origin which often presents diagnostic problems due to a plethora of non-pathognomonic findings in spite of diagnostic and imaging evidence. The case is presented of the challenge faced when a Vietnamese was admitted with suspected Guillain-Barré syndrome, which was finally diagnosed as neurosarcoidosis after extended investigation which included biopsy of a paratracheal lymph node, the histological examination of which showed sarcoid-like granulomas. Although the prognosis is unfavorable and eradication of the disease is often unsuccessful, the initiation of steroids as promptly as possible, in combination with physiotherapy, appears to produce satisfactory results. Hope for a better therapeutic outcome lies in continuing research on the immunohistological pathogenesis of sarcoidosis.Neurosarcoidosis is a rare clinical manifestation of sarcoidosis of unknown origin which often presents diagnostic problems due to a plethora of non-pathognomonic findings in spite of diagnostic and imaging evidence. The case is presented of the challenge faced when a Vietnamese was admitted with suspected Guillain-Barré syndrome, which was finally diagnosed as neurosarcoidosis after extended investigation which included biopsy of a paratracheal lymph node, the histological examination of which showed sarcoid-like granulomas. Although the prognosis is unfavorable and eradication of the disease is often unsuccessful, the initiation of steroids as promptly as possible, in combination with physiotherapy, appears to produce satisfactory results. Hope for a better therapeutic outcome lies in continuing research on the immunohistological pathogenesis of sarcoidosis.

Key words: Apomyelinosis, Granuloma, Guillain-Barré syndrome, Neurosarcoidosis.