Pleuroparenchymal sarcoidosis: A rare manifestation mimicking metastatic lung cancer

A 66-year-old male from Myanmar presented with 3 months of cough and constitutional symptoms. He was an ex-tobacco user with no significant medical or exposure history. Chest x-ray showed ill-defined bilateral opacities and a left pleural effusion. Chest CT revealed two right lower lobe masses, and a moderate-sized left pleural effusion. PET-CT demonstrated hypermetabolic uptake in the thickened nodular pleura, pericardium, and hilar/mediastinal lymph nodes. EBUS-TBNA of the right lower paratracheal node and TBLB of the right lower lobe mass yielded epithelioid granulomas comprising multinucleated giant cells, epithelioid histiocytes and lymphoplasmacytic cells. Thoracoscopy revealed hard, whitish mass-like parietal pleural plaques, and pleural biopsy revealed identical histopathologic results. His symptoms resolved quickly after commencing prednisolone 25 mg daily. Chest CT at 6 months demonstrated near complete resolution of the parenchymal masses and pleural effusion. We highlight this unique case of pleuroparenchymal sarcoidosis mimicking metastatic lung cancer in a tuberculosis-endemic region.