Epidemiology of Sarcoidosis in Puerto Rico: A Population-Based Study From 2016 to 2018

Abstract Background: Sarcoidosis is a systemic granulomatous and inflammatory disorder with significantvariability in ethnicity and geographical distribution. There is no descriptive data about theepidemiology of the disease among the geographically isolated Puerto Rican population. Objective: To estimate the incidence, prevalence, distribution, and healthcare burden ofsarcoidosis in a large nationwide population-based cohort in Puerto Rico.Methods: We conducted a descriptive and retrospective analysis using the health administrativeclaim database from the Puerto Rico Health Insurance Administration (ASES) from 2016 to 2018.The International Classification of Diseases-Tenth Revision coding (D86) was used for casedetection. Data on sex and age were used to estimate incidence and prevalence.Results: A total of 539 sarcoidosis cases were identified over the 3-year study. The median ageat diagnosis was 59 years old. The average annual incidence rate was 9.4/100,000. The baselineprevalence was 15.4 per 100,000. Females represented the 67.5% of the cases. The frequency ofsarcoidosis in women was higher than in males starting at the age range 18-34 years (GLMp<0.03). Patients with lung and unspecified sarcoidosis predominates with 37% and 32% of cases,respectively.Conclusions: Annual incidence rate of sarcoidosis in Island Puerto Ricans is among the highestin a single geographically isolated ethnic group reported globally. The overall mean age ofindividuals with sarcoidosis in Puerto Rico represent the oldest among previous epidemiologicalsurveys conducted worldwide.