SARCOIDOSIS OF CENTRAL NERVOUS SYSTEM

Clinical and pathological findings are reported in 7 cases of sarcoidosis of the central nervous system. In 2 cases the brains only were examined. The remaining 5 fully-examined cases all showed evidence of generalized sarcoidosis. In the central nervous system typical sarcoid granulomata were present in the leptomeninges and in the parenchyma where they appeared to be largely perivascular. Involvement of blood vessels, both arteries and veins, in the granulomatous process, leading to obliteration of their lumina, was frequently observed. Acute necrotizing arteritis was found in 1 instance. A tendency to subependymal aggregation of lesions was observed. In 2 cases this granulomatous ependymitis led to stenosis of the aqueduct and obstructive hydrocephalus. Perivascular calcifications were found in the hypothalamus of 2 cases, in one of which the cerebellar cortex was similarly affected. Insufficient data were avaialble to correlate this finding with deranged calcium metabolism. © 1969.