Sarcoidosis and the COVID-19 mRNA Vaccines--What’s the Evolving Science?

Sarcoidosis is an inflammatory disease characterized by the formation of granulomas in various organs, most commonly the lungs and lymph nodes. While the exact cause remains unknown, it is believed to result from an interplay of genetic and environmental factors.In the context of mRNA COVID-19 vaccines, there have been isolated case reports suggesting a temporal association between vaccination and the onset or unmasking of sarcoidosis. For in one case studyinstance, a 61-year-old Japanese man developed uveitis and bilateral hilar lymphadenopathy shortly after receiving the BNT162b2 (Pfizer/BioNTech) vaccine, with subsequent biopsy confirming non-caseating granulomas consistent with sarcoidosis.

Similarly, in another case series a 42-year-old African American woman was diagnosed with multisystem sarcoidosis involving mediastinal lymph nodes and soft tissue following administration of the same vaccine.