Acute sarcoidosis Löfgren Syndrome treated by Chinese medicinal formula based on Syndrome Differentiation: A case-based review

Abstract

Löfgren syndrome (LS) is a unique acute manifestation of sarcoidosis and characterized by erythema nodosum, bilateral hilar lymphadenectasis, and/or bilateral ankle arthritis or periarthritis. A 37-year-old female patient with LS presented with fever accompanied by multiple joint swelling and pain, nodular skin erythema, and bilateral hilar lymphadenectasis. The patient had received treatment involving non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs and glucocorticoids in other hospitals, but the effects were poor, and the conditions reemerged. The LS duration has lasted for more than 3 months. Following traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) treatment, syndrome differentiation as well as giving patients oral Chinese medicine decoction, the symptoms of the patient were rapidly relieved within one week and did not recur during a six-month follow-up period. This case is the first clinical report of acute sarcoidosis LS treated using TCM and reflects the significant advantages of this form of therapy in emergency treatment.