Sarcoidosis of Ovary, Fallopian Tubes, and the Uterus an Update

Sarcoidosis is stated to be a terminology that is used for a multi-system disease which is most commonly manifested within the pulmonary system. Nevertheless, cases of extrapulmonary manifestations of sarcoidosis had been sporadically reported frequently. Isolated occurrence of sarcoidosis within the uro-genital system is rare and has tended to pose a diagnostic and therapeutic dilemma. Uterine sarcoidosis could manifest with cervical erosions, endometrial polypoid lesions, and recurrent serometra. In majority of cases, it is diagnosed by endometrial curettage, but it had also been detected by examination of hysterectomy, polypectomy, and autopsy specimens. Cases of sarcoidosis of the ovary and sarcoidosis of the fallopian tube do manifest with symptoms and signs to simulate the manifestations of more common afflictions of the ovary and fallopian tubes. Non-necrotizing granulomas are the characteristic pathology examination finding of sarcoidosis. Nevertheless, many infectious and non-infectious etiologies including certain neoplasms could produce similar granulomatous reactions within the female genital tract. These conditions afflict the female genital tract more commonly than sarcoidosis, and therefore it is important to exclude these conditions first before making a diagnosis of sarcoidosis. Treatment of sarcoidosis is different from treating these other conditions and the most commonly utilized systemic or local corticosteroids could be hazardous if the underlying cause is infection. Sarcoidosis afflicting the ovary, fallopian tube and the uterus had not been extensively covered in most books of Medicine, obstetrics and gynecology and surgery perhaps due to the rarity of sarcoidosis in the aforementioned female genital organs when compared with the more common afflictions of the female genital tract. The ensuing chapter contains an updated information related to sarcoidosis including an overview and miscellaneous narrations from some case reports, case series, and studies related to sarcoidosis of the ovary, fallopian tube, and uterus.