ABSTRACT
Sarcoidosis is a multisystem inflammatory disease of unknown etiology characterized by the formation of noncaseating granulomas in the lungs, lymph nodes, skin, eyes, and other organs (l,2). Since the etiology is not known, sarcoid is described in terms of clinical and histological findings, which are not in actuality specific for the disease. For instance, the characteristic pathological finding is nonnecrotizing granuloma formation, but this may also be seen in berylliosis, primary biliary cirrhosis, Crohn's disease, and infections caused by mycobacteria (tuberculosis [TB], leprosy), fungi, or Treponema pallidum. Other clues to the diagnosis include certain systemic features, such as constitutional symptoms, hilar adenopathy, erythema nodosum, uveitis, and splenomegaly. While suggestive of the disease, none of these is pathognomonic. Thus, depending on the presenting manifestations, diagnostic considerations may include infections (fungal, mycobacterial, etc.), other illnesses of unknown etiology (rheumatoid lung, Wegener's granulomatosis, Churg-Strauss granulomatosis), and metastatic cancer.
