Sarcoidosis presenting as a unilateral hilar mass

Sarcoidosis has been characterized by a variety of clinical presentations ranging from complete lack of symptoms to incapacitating multisystem disease. Bilateral thoracic lymph node enlargement with or without pulmonary disease is the most common presentation. An elderly woman with eye pain, visual disturbance, nonproductive cough, and weight loss was found to have unilateral hilar enlargement on roentgenographic examination of the chest. An aggressive search for a neoplastic process disclosed only noncaseating granulomas consistent with sarcoidosis. The patient completely recovered on corticosteroid therapy alone.