The vanishing lung syndrome associated with pulmonary sarcoidosis

Two patients are reported with "vanishing lungs' associated with sarcoidosis or necrotizing sarcoid granulomatosis. This syndrome is a rare outcome of sarcoidosis, but sarcoidosis may be an underlying cause of giant bullous emphysema. If bullectomy is undertaken, tissue should be removed from relatively normal lungs and mediastinal nodes to demonstrate the presence and nature of any granulomas.