The liver in sarcoidosis

Neddle biopsies of the liver were performed in 121 cases of sarcoidosis. Granulomas compatible with sarcoidosis were seen in 24 percent of the cases. Liver function tests (serum alkaline phosphatase, serum aspartate aminotransferase, serum alanine aminotransferase, and bromsulphthalein clearance test) were performed on 325 patients with sarcoidosis and on 132 with non-sarcoid erythema nodosum (EN). Pathological findings were seen especially in patients with extensive EN, without any correlation with the disease responsible for the eruption. Hepatic granulomas were found more often in patients with sarcoid changes in lung parenchyma than in those with bilateral hilar adenitis only. There were no other definite correlations between hepatic granulomas and other clinical and laboratory findings. The incidence of pathological results in this study was clearly lower than, e.g., in the USA, thus reflecting the good prognosis of sarcoidosis in the Scandinavian countries.