New‐onset lung sarcoidosis, an adverse event by COVID‐19 or a sign of convalescence; a case report

KEY CLINICAL MESSAGE: Sarcoidosis is a systemic inflammatory disease able to affect any organ within the body. Sarcoidosis may be the body's secondary response to COVID‐19 infection and a sign of rehabilitation. Early response to the treatments reinforces this hypothesis. The majority of sarcoidosis patients require immunosuppressive therapies, including corticosteroids. ABSTRACT: Most studies so far have focused on the management of COVID‐19 in patients suffering from sarcoidosis. Nevertheless, the current report aims to present a COVID‐19‐induced sarcoidosis case. Sarcoidosis is a systemic inflammatory disease with granulomas. Still, its etiology is unknown. It often affects the lungs and lymph nodes. A previously healthy 47‐year‐old female was referred with the following chief complaints: atypical chest pain, dry cough, and dyspnea on exertion within a month after COVID‐19 infection. Accordingly, a chest computed tomography revealed multiple conglomerated lymphadenopathies in the thoracic inlet, mediastinum, and hila. A core‐needle biopsy from the nodes revealed non‐necrotizing granulomatous inflammation, sarcoidal type. The sarcoidosis diagnosis was proposed and confirmed by a negative purified protein derivative (PPD) test. Accordingly, prednisolone was prescribed. All symptoms were relieved. A control lung HRCT was taken 6 months later, showing the lesions had disappeared. In conclusion, sarcoidosis may be the body's secondary response to COVID‐19 infection and a sign of disease convalescence.