[Bronchopulmonary sarcoidosis. Brief review and description of 8 cases]

Sarcoidosis is a disease of unknown etiology affecting most frequently young adults. Diagnosis is based on clinical, radiological and histopathological features and presentation is frequently of constitutional and respiratory symptoms, hilar and mediastinal adenopathies, with or without parenquimal involvement. Confirmation is histopathological with demonstration of non-caseificating granulomas in affected organs, with negative cultures for mycobacteria and fungi. We describe the clinical, radiological and histopathological findings in 8 patients. Mean age was 44 years (28-59) and half the patients were male. Two patients were symptom-free at diagnosis, thoracic findings were present in five (cough, retroesternal pain and arrhythmias) and one had extrathoracic symptoms (ankle arthritis). All showed mediastinal adenopathies in radiological and tomographic images (six were in stage 2 and two in stage 1). Two patients had spontaneous remission, four received oral steroids, one required oral steroids and azathioprine and there was no treatment data on one patient. In one patient, recidiva of severe and bilateral erithema nodosum required long term treatment with steroids and immunosupressors. Although sarcoidosis is a low prevalent disease in our country, a high index of suspicion is advisable when facing patients with respiratory symptoms, parenquimal involvement and mediastinal adenopathies, with or without extrathoracic manifestations.