Sarcoidosis in Tuscany. A preliminary report.

A retrospective study was carried out by a computerized questionnaire in a sample of 109 sarcoidosis patients (43 men, 66 women) diagnosed between 1977 and 1990 in Pisa. 94% of the patients were resident in Tuscany. The onset of disease was earlier in the men than in the women; in 73% of the patients the symptoms were first noticed between February and July with two incidence peaks; 71% of them had never smoked; 10% of patients were symptom-free and the disease was discovered by chance; the other patients (90%) underwent chest X-ray because of joint symptoms (35%), erythema nodosum (34%), cough (28%), dyspnoea (27%), and fever (24%) which was often associated with other symptoms. Symptoms from the respiratory tract was present in 66 patients (61%); 58% of patients were resident in rural areas; the level of education was limited to primary school in 50% of the patients; as to the prevailing working positions, 27% were clerical workers, 24% manual workers, and 26% housewives.