IMAGES IN THORAX
Concurrence of sarcoidosis and lung cancer: a diagnostic dilemma
Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery, East Yorkshire Cardiothoracic Center, Castle Hill Hospital, Cottingham, Hull, UK
Correspondence to:
Correspondence to:
Dr S Kumar
Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery, Leeds General Infirmary, Leeds LS1 3EX, UK; sanjaykr33@yahoo.co.uk
| The first 150 words of the full text of this article appear below. |
The development of lung cancer in a patient with pulmonary sarcoidosis is recognised, but differentiation between the two conditions is not always easy.1 The concurrence of pulmonary sarcoidosis and primary or secondary lung tumours can cause a diagnostic dilemma and make preoperative staging difficult.2 We describe the use of positron emission tomography (PET) to confirm the diagnosis and provide accurate staging in a patient with sarcoidosis and lung cancer.
A 68 year old man with a known pulmonary sarcoidosis presented with haemoptysis. Serial chest radiographs over a number of years had shown apical opacities in both lungs and mediastinal widening due to sarcoidosis. His current chest radiograph showed further enlargement of the apical opacity in the right lung. A computed tomographic (CT) scan was performed (fig 1
). Fibreoptic bronchoscopy and biopsy samples showed non-small cell carcinoma in the right upper lobe.
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Figure 1 Chest CT scan showing extensive mediastinal lymphadenopathy (up | |||||||||
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Thorax 2006 61: 1029.[Extract] [Full Text] [PDF]
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