Monitoring of Sarcoidosis

Monitoring of sarcoidosis is challenging. Fig. 1 presents an outline of a proposed monitoring process in pulmonary sarcoidosis with emphasis on key considerations during individual clinic visits. Review of diagnostic certainty is a key component of monitoring but cannot be standardized, requiring flexible re-evaluation of all available information. The authors largely focus on pulmonary sarcoidosis, but the key principles of monitoring, detailed in this article, apply equally to sarcoidosis in general. Rigorous baseline evaluation is a key initial requirement for accurate monitoring, and this includes clear definition of strategic management goals in individual patients and their re-evaluation during followup. The frequency and nature of monitoring are highly influenced by treatment goals and risk stratification at baseline. Monitoring should not be confined to the evaluation of changes in major organ involvement but must integrate serial changes in symptomatic severity and quality of life with a focus on changes in sarcoidosis-specific therapies and patient -centered issues.