Table 2.
Patient characteristics
| Group 1 | Group 2 | p value | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| n | N | % | n | N | % | ||
| Isolated NS (a) | 9 | 29 | 31 | 18 | 73 | 25 | 0.510 |
| NS in systemic sarcoidosis (a) | 20 | 29 | 69 | 55 | 73 | 75 | 0.510 |
| Probability of NS | |||||||
| Definitive (a) | 8 | 29 | 28 | 3 | 73 | 4 | |
| Probable (a) | 16 | 29 | 55 | 44 | 73 | 60 | |
| Possible (a) | 5 | 29 | 17 | 26 | 73 | 36 | |
| Clinical manifestation of NS | |||||||
| First manifestation with cerebrovascular event (a) | 19 | 29 | 66 | 3 | 73 | 4 | < 0.001 |
| ≥ 1 abnormality suggesting NS (a) | 29 | 29 | 100 | 64 | 73 | 88 | 0.048 |
| Cranial neuropathy (a) | 12 | 29 | 41 | 21 | 73 | 29 | 0.219 |
| Headache (a) | 20 | 29 | 69 | 23 | 73 | 32 | < 0.001 |
| Sensory symptoms (a) | 11 | 29 | 38 | 36 | 73 | 49 | 0.298 |
| Motor symptoms (a) | 14 | 29 | 48 | 15 | 73 | 21 | 0.005 |
| Ataxia/gait disturbance (a) | 8 | 29 | 28 | 14 | 73 | 19 | 0.352 |
| Cognitive/ behavioral changes (a) | 8 | 29 | 28 | 6 | 73 | 8 | 0.010 |
| Epileptic seizure (a) | 7 | 29 | 24 | 3 | 21 | 14 | 0.390 |
| PNS manifestations (a) | 0 | 29 | 0 | 16 | 73 | 22 | 0.006 |
| Others (a) | 19 | 29 | 66 | 6 | 21 | 29 | 0.010 |
| Laboratory findings | |||||||
| Serum ACE increased (b) | 3 | 17 | 18 | 23 | 58 | 40 | 0.094 |
| Serum lysozyme increased (b) | 0 | 5 | 0 | 23 | 47 | 49 | nA |
| Serum neopterin increased (b) | 0 | 4 | 0 | 6 | 19 | 32 | nA |
| Serum sIL-2R increased (b) | 2 | 4 | 50 | 9 | 21 | 43 | nA |
| Serum calcium increased (b) | 0 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 44 | 7 | nA |
| CSF findings | |||||||
| Lumbar puncture performed (a) | 23 | 29 | 79 | 51 | 73 | 70 | 0.335 |
| CNS inflammation (c) | 18 | 23 | 78 | 46 | 51 | 90 | 0.165 |
| Pleocytosis (> 5 leucocytes/ml) (b) | 18 | 22 | 82 | 37 | 51 | 73 | 0.399 |
| Elevated total protein (> 400 mg/l) (b) | 14 | 19 | 74 | 28 | 51 | 55 | 0.154 |
| Elevated IgG-Index (b) | 5 | 9 | 56 | 11 | 41 | 27 | 0.094 |
| CSF-specific oligoclonal bands (b) | 3 | 12 | 25 | 11 | 38 | 29 | 0.791 |
| CSF lysozyme increased (b) | 3 | 4 | 75 | 9 | 19 | 47 | nA |
| CSF neopterin increased (b) | 4 | 4 | 100 | 17 | 19 | 89 | nA |
| CSF sIL-2R (b) | 0 | 4 | 0 | 4 | 19 | 21 | nA |
| Imaging | |||||||
| MRI (a) | 29 | 29 | 100 | 58 | 73 | 79 | 0.008 |
| ≥ 1 abnormality suggesting NS (d) | 29 | 29 | 100 | 40 | 58 | 69 | < 0.001 |
| Leptomeningeal abnormalities (e) | 15 | 29 | 52 | 16 | 40 | 40 | 0.334 |
| Parenchymal T2-hyperintensities (e) | 19 | 29 | 66 | 22 | 40 | 55 | 0.380 |
| Parenchymal enhancement (e) | 9 | 29 | 31 | 14 | 40 | 35 | 0.730 |
| Abnormalities suggesting stroke (e) | 17 | 29 | 59 | 3 | 40 | 8 | < 0.001 |
| Intracranial hemorrhage (e) | 9 | 29 | 31 | 1 | 40 | 3 | < 0.001 |
| Spinal lesions (f) | 3 | 5 | 60 | 17 | 31 | 55 | 0.829 |
| Others (e) | 5 | 29 | 17 | 1 | 13 | 8 | 0.414 |
| DSA/ MRA | 20 | 29 | 69 | 6 | 73 | 8 | 0.0001 |
| ≥ 1 abnormality suggesting vasculitis (g) | 12 | 20 | 60 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 0.010 |
| DSA abnormalities suggesting vasculitis (g) | 10 | 20 | 50 | nA | nA | nA | nA |
| Caliber irregularities (h) | 7 | 12 | 58 | 0 | 0 | 0 | nA |
| Stenosis (h) | 8 | 12 | 67 | 0 | 0 | 0 | nA |
| Aneurysms (h) | 3 | 12 | 25 | 0 | 0 | 0 | nA |
| Biopsy confirming sarcoidosis | 25 | 29 | 86 | 45 | 73 | 62 | 0.016 |
| Cerebral (i) | 8 | 25 | 32 | 2 | 45 | 4 | 0.002 |
| Pulmonary (i) | 10 | 25 | 40 | 36 | 45 | 80 | < 0.001 |
| Others (i) | 11 | 25 | 44 | 10 | 45 | 22 | 0.057 |
a N = all patients; b N = patients with record of the regarding parameter; c N = all patients who recieved lumbare puncture; d N = patients who received MRI; e N = patients with MRI abnormalities suggesting NS; f N = patients who received spinal MRI; g N = patients who received vascular imaging; h N = patients DSA/MRA abnormalities suggesting vasculitis; i N = patients with biopsy confirming sarcoidosis; sIL-2R soluble Interleukin 2 Receptor, CSF cerebrospinal fluid, MRI magnetic resonance imaging, DSA digital subtraction angiography, MRA magnetic resonance angiography,values in bold are statistically significant