Assessment of sarcopenia in female patients with sarcoidosis upon initial diagnosis
Keywords:
Sarcoidosis, Sarcopenia, Computed tomography, Skeletal muscle index, Cross-sectional StudyAbstract
Background and aim: There is a substantial body of literature that discusses the potential relationship between sarcopenia and sarcoidosis. This study aimed to evaluate the muscle mass of sarcoidosis patients without any treatment at the time of diagnosis using computed tomography (CT) images.
Methods: The study was retrospectively conducted, including female patients with sarcoidosis and patients who presented to the emergency department for unrelated reasons and underwent abdominal CT scans. We evaluated the total skeletal muscles (TSM) visualized at the L3 level, as well as the skeletal muscle index (SMI) and psoas muscle index (PMI). Muscle contours were drawn manually using the Picture Archiving and Communication System (PACS), and volume measurements were evaluated. To identify patients with sarcopenia, we referenced SMI-based sex-specific thresholds by age and body mass index (BMI) available in the literature.
Results: A total of 168 female patients were evaluated. Sarcoidosis patients were significantly older and shorter than the control group. The total psoas muscle volume (TPM) (p = 0.003), TSM (p = 0.027), SMI (p = 0.037) and PMI (p = 0.001) values were significantly lower in the sarcoidosis group, while SMI and sarcopenia prevalence did not significantly differ. Notably, significant muscle mass differences were evident primarily in the 50–60 age group.
Conclusions: Our findings suggest that muscle loss may become more apparent with age in sarcoidosis patients, even before treatment initiation. Further studies and long-term follow-up are needed to understand the prevalence and effects of sarcopenia in sarcoidosis.
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