Diagnostic value of biopsy in gangliopulmonary sarcoidosis

In order to be well determined the diagnosis of sarcoidosis needs multiple evidence of clinical, radiological, immunobiological and humoral order, and a histopathological confirmation too. Our casuistry covered 173 observations: Stage I with 94 (54.33%) cases, stage II with 68 (39.3%) cases, and stage III with 11 (6.4%) cases. In 136 patients one or several biopsies were performed with a histopathological result for sarcoidosis in 107 cases (61.8%). According to their character, biopsies could be divided into three groups: Group I comprised 39 biopsies of some easily accessible lesions (skin lesion, peripheral adenopathy, tonsils a.s.o.). 25 of them were concludent for sarcoidosis (64.1%). Group II was made up of 118 biopsies of some hardly accessible lesions (hepatic biopsy puncture, bronchoscopy, pre-scalene node biopsy). Of these biopsies, 22 pleaded for sarcoidosis (18.6%). In group III entered 67 deep biopsies (mediastinoscopy, hiloscopy, thoracotomy with pulmonary biopsy). All of them confirmed sarcoidosis. If to the concludent histopathological result for sarcoidosis (61.8%) we add the one given by the Kveim test (15.1%) (in cases without biopsy or with a non-concludent biopsy) the percentage of biopsy confirmation rises to 76.9%).