Objective:

To identify race-related clinical differences between Black and White neurosarcoidosis (NS) populations.

Background:

There is currently limited knowledge on treatment and diagnosis of NS, and even less research on differences in clinical presentation within minorities. Current literature substantiates worse outcomes for Black patients with sarcoidosis compared to White.

Design/Methods:

This retrospective review collected data on patients with definite or probable NS between 01/01/2010 to 03/31/2023 in the greater Houston area. Clinical characteristics, diagnostics, and outcomes were analyzed between Black/African Americans (B/AA) and White/Caucasians (W/C). Descriptive analyses were completed using Pearson Chi-Square for bivariate variables with means and medians for continuous.

Results:

A total of (n=55) patients were identified to have NS (Black = 63.6% vs White = 36.4%; n=35 vs n=20). Black patients were more likely to present with focal weakness than White (Black = 62.9% vs White = 20%; n=22 vs n=4; p = .002). Blacks were found to have a higher number of hospitalizations from NS (Black = 75.8% vs White = 24.2%; n=25 vs n=8; p = .023). Number of readmissions within 72 hours of discharge were also significant (Black = 100% vs White = 0%; n=8 vs n=0; p = .02). Number of abnormal magnetic resonance images (MRI) were significantly higher in Black patients (Black = 70.2% vs White = 29.8%; n=33 vs n=14; p = .038). Overall, Blacks presented with significantly higher mean Modified Rankin Score (mRS) at presentation (Black = 2.15 vs White = 1.6; p = 0.034).

Conclusions:

Our analyses found that Black patients had significantly higher incidence of NS along with focal weakness, abnormal MRIs, hospitalizations, readmissions, and Modified Rankin Scores (mRS). The elevated rate of disability and abnormal MRIs in Blacks at initial encounter suggests greater disease severity at presentation. Further investigation is required to better understand causes of these disparities and their external validity.