Development of Sarcoidosis in a Patient with Ulcerative Colitis: A Case Report

Abstract

Introduction: Sarcoidosis is a granulomatous inflammatory disorder characterized by the presence of non-caseating granulomas in affected tissues, such as lungs and lymph nodes. The precise etiology of sarcoidosis is not known yet. There are some reports on the association of sarcoidosis and other disorders that may similarly have an immunological basis, such as inflammatory bowel disease. In this study, we introduce a patient with ulcerative colitis (UC), whose disease was in remission for about 20 years, before presentation of her sarcoidosis. Case Presentation: A 48-year-old woman, a known case of UC for a period of 20 years, presented to the Adult Pulmonology Clinic with complaints of chronic non-productive cough, episodic night sweats, progressive dyspnea (initially on exertion, then at rest), fatigue, and significant weight loss. Her clinical manifestations began since about 1 year ago and aggravated over time. She was on regular follow-up by a gastroenterologist, and her UC was in remission. At the first visit, the patient’s physical examination showed stable hemodynamics, and normal breath sounds, and cardiac auscultation. Also, no significant finding was noted in her abdominal examination. Conclusions: Patients with UC who possess HLA-A*01 phenotype may possibly be more susceptible to developing sarcoidosis.