Sacroiliac joint in sarcoidosis on computed tomography: a monocentric retrospective study (SISTER)

Sacroiliitis and spondyloarthritis (SpA) have been associated to sarcoidosis. Sarcoidosis bone involvement of the sacral or iliac bones has been reported to mimic SpA. We aimed to evaluate the prevalence of structural sacroiliitis and structural changes of the sacroiliac joints (SIJ) in patients with sarcoidosis by abdominal-pelvic computed tomography (AP-CT). In this monocentric retrospective study, three blinded readers evaluated AP-CT that had already been performed on patients with sarcoidosis and classified them as normal, degenerative, or inflammatory. A consensus was reached for the divergent cases. Erosion, ankylosis, and sclerosis, classically associated with sacroiliitis, were noted. SpA was defined according to the ASAS 2009 classification criteria. We identified 217 patients with proven sarcoidosis who underwent AP-CT. Only three patients had sacroiliitis by CT and four had SpA, representing 1.38% and 1.85% of the patients, respectively. Degenerative SIJs represented 28.1% of patients and were significantly associated with age, at least one pregnancy, rural lifestyle, ankylosis, diffuse idiopathic skeletal hyperostosis, sclerosis, and the presence of osteophytes. Four patients had axial bone sarcoidosis. Sacroiliitis, SpA, and degenerative changes of the SIJ have been highlighted by AP-CT in patients with sarcoidosis. Osteoarthritis of the SIJ in sarcoidosis was associated with age, pregnancy, and rural lifestyle. Further studies are needed to assess the link between SpA and sarcoidosis.

Automated summary

Only 3 out of 217 patients with confirmed sarcoidosis were found to have sacroiliitis by CT, and 4 patients had SpA. Degenerative changes in the sacroiliac joints were present in 28.1% of patients and were associated with age, pregnancy, rural lifestyle, and specific bone abnormalities. Further studies are needed to explore the relationship between SpA and sarcoidosis.