Sarcoidosis and Obstructive Sleep Apnea: A Scoping Review of Factors Associated with the Development or Exacerbation of OSA

This project registers a scoping review examining the relationship between sarcoidosis and obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). Sarcoidosis, a multisystem granulomatous disease of unknown etiology, is associated with a high prevalence of OSA—approximately 2.5-fold higher than in age-, sex-, and body mass index–matched controls—yet the factors driving this overlap remain incompletely characterized. The association appears multifactorial, spanning a metabolic–iatrogenic axis (demographic and metabolic factors and systemic glucocorticoid exposure) and a mechanical axis (parenchymal and infiltrative changes), but the available evidence is heterogeneous and does not clearly separate the intrinsic effect of the disease from treatment-induced effects. The aim of this scoping review is to map and describe the global clinical evidence on the factors associated with the development or exacerbation of OSA in adults with sarcoidosis. The review is conducted and reported in accordance with the PRISMA Extension for Scoping Reviews (PRISMA-ScR) and follows the Population–Concept–Context (PCC) framework, with a systematic search of six electronic databases through March 2026. Eligible sources include observational analytical studies, case series, and case reports of adults with sarcoidosis and objectively confirmed OSA (apnea–hypopnea index ≥ 5 events/h). Findings are summarized descriptively and categorized into pathophysiological domains to identify knowledge gaps and inform clinical sleep screening and future research.