ABSTRACT

Sarcoidosis is a systemic granulomatous disease of unknown cause. Although the lung is the most common organ affected with sarcoidosis, the disease may involve any part of the body. For an accurate diagnosis of sarcoidosis, the multimodality approach including clinical, radiological, and histopathological evaluation is recommended. Because of the varied clinical presentations of sarcoidosis, there is not a standard diagnostic algorithm. Sarcoidosis may resolve spontaneously or remain stable or progress. Its treatment is not standardized, and its prognosis can not be easily predicted. In this study, we aimed to highlight clinical and radiological features, laboratory findings, diagnostic procedures, organ involvement and other characteristics of sarcoidosis cases diagnosed during 7 years time interval.

In this study 70 patients, 58 (82.9%) being female and 12 (17.1%) being male who had the diagnosis of sarcoidosis at our center from 2002 to 2009 were evaluated retrospectively.

The mean age of patients was 43.94 (15-68). Diagnostic methods were clinical radiological: 6, mediastinoscopy: 30, transbronchial biopsy: 16, bronchial mucosa biopsy: 6, skin biopsies: 8, peripheral LAP biopsy: 2, spleen biopsy (splenectomy): 1, thoracotomy: 1. Evaluation were done in terms of results of stage, chest radiography, computed tomography, fiberoptic bronchoscopy and HRCT findings, sedimentation, WBC,hemoglobin, CRP, ACE, blood calcium and 24-hour urine calcium, ECG and holter findings, eye involvement, skin and other extrapulmonary organ involvement, and pulmonary function test findings, DLCO, PPD and pathology of the patients.

Sarcoidosis is a multisystemic disease. In patients with suspected sarcoidosis, biopsy is needed to verify the diagnosis is established when clinical, laboratory and radiological findings are supported by histologic evidence of noncaseating epitheloid cell granulomas and by excluding other causes of granulomas. The direct relationship between laboratory findings and radiologic stage of disease or disease activity were not found.