Chest
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Meta Analysis Comparative Study
Mortality of intrathoracic sarcoidosis in referral vs population-based settings: influence of stage, ethnicity, and corticosteroid therapy.
To compare the sarcoidosis mortality in referral settings (RS) and population-based settings (PS), and to identify the contribution of stage, ethnicity, and corticosteroid therapy (CST) to their disparate outcomes. ⋯ The prognosis of patients with intrathoracic sarcoidosis in PS is far more favorable than that obtained in RS. Sarcoidosis mortality is largely independent of ethnicity. The possibility cannot be excluded that excessive employment of CST may unfavorably influence the long-term course of the disease in some individuals.