ABSTRACT
Sarcoidosis is important from a medico-legal point of view for four reasons. (a) in its chronic form there may be accusations of mismanagement (and
therefore increased disability); (b) it may co-exist in patients who have had other acute episodes/accidents
such as chest trauma. Therefore, the dilemma in these latter cases is how much of the current disability is due to the new acute event for which there is recourse to law and compensation and how much is due to their pre-existing chronic sarcoidosis;
(c) it may also come to the attention of the lawyer as part of a claim for misdiagnosis – it being on occasions difficult to differentiate between sarcoidosis and tuberculosis;
(d) there may be a claim because of possible negligence in the performance of diagnostic techniques such as a Kveim test, bronchoscopy and transbronchial biopsy and mediastinoscopy.
