ABSTRACT
Of the approximately 600 lymph nodes in the body, those in
the head and neck, axillary and inguinal regions are
potentially palpable. With no definite size criteria for what
constitutes enlargement or lymphadenopathy it has been
recommended that lymph nodes outside the inguinal area
present for longer than 1 month and over 1 1 cm in size without an obvious diagnosis require further investigation
(Habermann and Steensma 2000). In relation to sarcoidosis,
the large multicenter ACCESS study (A Case Control Etiologic
Study of Sarcoidosis) standardized an assessment tool
designed to define different organ involvement (Judson
et al. 1999). Definite involvement was confirmed if a biopsy
from the organ showed non-caseating granuloma without any
other cause being identified. Criteria for other organ involve-
ment in patients with biopsy-confirmed sarcoidosis were
based on clinical criteria and classified as definite, probable
and possible. The criteria for probable extrathoracic lymph
node involvement in a biopsy-confirmed sarcoidosis case was
defined as a new palpable lymph node above the waist and/or
lymph nodes 2 cm on CT scan. Possible involvement was defined as new palpable femoral lymph node(s).
