[Hepatic schistosomiasis and sarcoidosis with voluminous subdiaphragmatic adenopathies]

The authors report a case of a West-Indian with sarcoidosis and peripheral, mediastinal and, above all, sub-diaphragmatic lymph nodes. The latter were very large and palpable through the abdomen, confirmed by lymphography and found to be due to S. Mansomi schistosomiasis. Liver biopsy carried out under peritoneoscopy, showed schistosomal granulomatosis with sarcoidosic granulomatosis. The authors consider that the rareness of this association is only apparent and does not correspond to the frequency of bilharziasis nor that of sarcoidosis in these subjects. They emphasize the mistakes which may result in interpretation of liver biopsy. They recall a few special characteristics of sarcoidosis in West-Indians, in particular, the possibility of failure of corticosteroid therapy as in their case, due to the onset of miliary lung disease under treatment, and show the lymphographic appearances of sarcoidosis.