Pulmonary sarcoidosis with associated bloody pleurisy

A 64-year-old man was admitted to our hospital complaining of non-productive cough and right chest pain. Chest radiographs showed bilateral hilar lymphadenopathy, diffuse granular nodules and right pleural effusion. Serum angiotensin-II-converting enzyme and lysozyme levels were elevated. Since thoracentesis indicated bloody pleurisy, video-assisted thoracoscopy was performed and revealed multiple white nodules on both the visceral and parietal pleura. Resected pleural biopsy specimens showed non-caseous granulomas. Furthermore, some nodules were observed to compress and involve small vessels and capillaries. The bloody pleurisy was assumed to have been derived from the rupture of small vessels that had been compressed and affected by the granuloma with sarcoidosis.