High resolution CT findings and clinical manifestations of thoracic sarcoidosis

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Objective To analyze the features of CT and high resolution CT(HRCT) of thoracic sarcoidosis,and to improve the recognition and the diagnostic accuracy of the disease.Methods The high resolution CT findings of 36 patients with thoracic sarcoidosis diagnosed by clinic and pathology were retrospectively analyzed.Results Among the 36 cases of sarcoidosis,35 cases(97.2％) had pulmonary hilar or mediastinal lymph nodes enlargement,in which only pulmonary hilar lymph nodes enlargement was shown in 7 cas (19.4％),only mediastinal lymph nodes enlargement in 4 cases(11.1％),hilar or mediastinal lym node enlargement simultaneously accompanied by intrapulmonary changes in 28 cases (77.8％),and only changes in lung without lymph nodes enlargement in 1 case(2.8％).The major features of pulmonary changes were:nodules in 23 cases(63.9％),of which 5 cases(13.9％) showed tiny nodules that were hard to be found by conventional CT,bronchovascular bundle thickening or reticular structure changes in 8 cases (22.2％),relatively large nodules or consolidation opacity in 4 cases (11.1％),ground glass opacity in 4 cases(11.1％),pleural nodules in 2 cases(5.56％),tracheal stenosis in 1 case(2.8％),and pleural effusion in 1 case(2.8％).Conclusions The clinical manifestations and laboratory examinations of thoracic sarcoidosis have no specificity.HRCT not only can find enlarged lymph nodes,but also can clearly display the characteristic changes in lung,especially those tiny nodules which are hard to be find by conventional CT,and this may contribute to the diagnosis of sarcoidosis. Key words: Sarcoidosis ; Chest ; X-ray computed ; Tomography