Background: The exact course of sarcoidosis is still unknown, ranging from spontaneous remission with no treatment in 2/3 of cases and in the remaining 1/3 of the cases long-term treatment is needed. Chest computed tomography (CT); is beneficial to judge potentially reversible from irreversible (fibrotic) lung damages.

Patients and Methods: This work was a retrospective study included 30 patients with sarcoidosis who were presented as out-patients to chest clinic from 2012 to 2017.

Results: This study included 30 patients; 8 males and 22 females. Their age ranged from 32-62 years with mean and SD 45.1 ±10.49. Dyspnea grade 2 and 3 was the commonest symptom present in 28 patients, followed by cough in 24 patients. Ocular manifestations were also common, chest pain and CNS manifestation were found in 4 patients. Bilateral hilar lymph node enlargements (BHLs) were suspected in 25 patients at x ray film and detected in 24 patients on MDCT study. Also, on MDCT, nodular shadows were seen in 16 patients and ground glass opacities identified on 11 patients.17 cases were diagnosed by biopsy, Heerford syndrome in 2 cases and Lofgreen syndrome in 4 cases and 7 patients refused biopsy but had typical radiological and clinical scenario of sarcoidosis.

Conclusion: Diagnosis of sarcoidosis can be made by highly specific clinical and radiological manifestations with exclusion of other differential diagnosis, mainly TB and lymphoma. Radiological findings were more specific regarding their distribution that mostly preferred the middle and lower lung zones.

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Bahaa Ibrahim Mohamed

Department of Chest Clinics, Minia University Hospital, El Minia, Faculty of Medicine, Egypt