[Non-steroid therapy for sarcoidosis].

Sarcoidosis is a systemic granulomatous disease that the epidemiology remains unknown. The appropriate therapy for sarcoidosis also has not been well defined. Systemic therapy is clearly indicated for cardiac disease, neurologic disease, eye disease without response to topical therapy, hypercalcemia, and progressive symptomatic disease. Corticosteroid are very commonly used as systemic therapy for sarcoidosis. However, there are some patients who can not be controlled with corticosteroid alone and/or have adverse reactions to corticosteroid. Several cytotoxic agents, including methotrexate, azathioprine, cyclophosphamide, chlorambucil and cyclosporine A, have been used to treat sarcoidosis. There are no studies that have clearly concluded when these agents should be used for treatment. On the basis of safety and efficacy, methotrexate and azathioprine are the preferred drugs. The antimalarial agents, including chloroquine and hydroxychloroquine, most often used to treat sarcoidosis.