Mediastinal sarcoidosis: An easily forgotten diagnosis

Abstract

Sarcoidosis is rarely diagnosed and reported in Hong Kong. We report a 58-year-old woman with incidental findings of right hilar adenopathy on chest X-ray and subsequent computed tomography showed bilateral hilar and paratracheal lymphadenopathy. A biopsy of the paratracheal lymph node was carried out by mediastinoscopy and pathology confirmed sarcoidosis. We acknowledged that sarcoidosis was probably an underdiagnosed condition in our locality and clinicians should be reminded to include sarcoidosis as a differential diagnosis when dealing with patients with hilar lymphadenopathy. Surgical biopsy by mediastinoscopy is a minimally invasive option for accessing mediastinal pathology. © 2011 The Authors. Surgical Practice © 2011 College of Surgeons of Hong Kong.