Clinical features, treatment and outcome in neurosarcoidosis: systematic review and meta-analysis

BMC Neurology

Table 2 Ancillary investigations on presentation

Characteristic	n/N^a (%)	Characteristic	n/N^a (%)
Blood chemical tests		Abnormal ancillary investigation
Serum ACE increased^b	238/674 (35)	Chest X-ray	277/461 (60)
Serum calcium increased^b	19/222 (9)	Chest CT	93/132 (70)
ESR >20 mm/h	64/202 (32)	Gallium-67 scintigraphy	81/123 (66)
		Cranial CT	83/168 (49)
Cerebrospinal fluid analysis		Cranial MRI	283/362 (78)
Lumbar puncture performed	774/988 (78)	Parenchymal lesions	191/378 (51)
White cell count (cells/mm³)	5–1571	Meningeal enhancement	282/610 (46)
>5 cells/mm³	424/730 (58)	Mass lesions	82/501 (16)
Protein (g/L)	0.45–22.4	Cranial nerve enhancement	123/478 (26)
>0.45 g/L^c	457/729 (63)	Spinal MRI	89/185 (48)
Hypoglycorrhachia^c	43/312 (14)	Diagnosis
Increased IgG-index^c	36/89 (40)	Histopathological confirmation^d	455/550 (81)
Oligoclonal bands present	77/184 (42)	Definite neurosarcoidosis	159/625 (25)
Increased CSF ACE^c	189/410 (46)	Probable neurosarcoidosis	371/625 (59)
Normal	90/332 (27)	Possible neurosarcoidosis	95/625 (15)

^a n/N: number for which a certain characteristic is present out of the total number of patients for which it was described
^b As reported in articles. The normal values of serum calcium were not reported in studies. The normal values of serum ACE varied between > 52 IU/L and >100 IU/L
^c As reported in the articles. The normal values of CSF glucose, CSF IgG index and CSF ACE varied between studies (CSF glucose between <35 mg/dL and <0.50 mg/dL, IgG index between >0.6 and >0.7 and CSF ACE between > 1U/L and 3 U/L)
^d Total histopathological confirmation, either in the CNS or systemic disease

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