Review for disease of the year: differential diagnosis of ocular sarcoidosis

Abstract

Sarcoid is characterized by the heterogeneity of its clinical expression as well as the silent nature and nonspecificity of many of its clinical findings. Diagnosis is often difficult due to its ability to mimic other diseases. In the absence of a highly specific confirmatory test, one must be cognizant of the features that distinguish these simulating conditions from sarcoidosis. Establishing an appropriate differential for patients suspected of having sarcoid requires one to consider the entire clinical presentation, the presence or absence of risk factors for masquerading disorders, patterns of resolution or progression, and response to treatment. This paper provides an overview of ocular conditions that may share part of the spectrum of clinical manifestations associated with sarcoid.