This site is intended for healthcare professionals

Go to /sign-in page

You can view 5 more pages before signing in

Go to /pro/cpd-dashboard page

This page is worth 0.05 CPD credits. CPD dashboard

Go to /account/subscription-details page

This page is worth 0.05 CPD credits. Upgrade to Pro

Radiological appearance of sarcoidosis

Last reviewed dd mmm yyyy. Last edited dd mmm yyyy

Authoring team

Bilateral hilar lymphadenopathy (BHL), the classic radiographic feature of sarcoidosis is seen in around three quarters of the patients (1).

Concomitant involvement of the right paratracheal lymph nodes can be seen in some patients (1).

Pulmonary parenchymal infiltrates (with or without BHL) is seen in 20% to 50% of sarcoidosis patients

  • may present as patchy or diffuse infiltrates
  • mainly involves the upper and mid lung zones
  • reticulonodular infiltrates, macroscopic nodules, consolidation or mass like lesions may be seen

Once fibrosis of the lungs occurs chest radiography may reveal loss of volume, hilar retraction, and coarse linear bands (1).

The appearance of the chest radiograph permits prognostic classification of disease.

Radiological staging has four categories (1):

  • stage 1 - bilateral hilar lymphadenopathy (BHL) only (likelihood of spontaneous remission 55-90%)
  • stage 2 - BHL plus pulmonary infiltrate (likelihood of spontaneous remission 50-70%)
  • stage 3 - peripheral pulmonary infiltrates alone (likelihood of spontaneous remission 10-20%)
  • stage 4 - pulmonary fibrosis (likelihood of spontaneous remission 0%) (progressive pulmonary infiltration, pleural involvement, bulla formation (honeycombing)(2)

Reference:


Create an account to add page annotations

Annotations allow you to add information to this page that would be handy to have on hand during a consultation. E.g. a website or number. This information will always show when you visit this page.

The content herein is provided for informational purposes and does not replace the need to apply professional clinical judgement when diagnosing or treating any medical condition. A licensed medical practitioner should be consulted for diagnosis and treatment of any and all medical conditions.

Connect

Copyright 2024 Oxbridge Solutions Limited, a subsidiary of OmniaMed Communications Limited. All rights reserved. Any distribution or duplication of the information contained herein is strictly prohibited. Oxbridge Solutions receives funding from advertising but maintains editorial independence.