Pulmonary sarcoidosis: An important differential diagnosis in transbronchial lung biopsies

BACKGROUND: Sarcoidosis is a systemic granulomatous disease of unknown etiology. Lungs and lymphatics are the principal sites affected by this disease. The disorder is often not suspected by physicians. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This was a retrospective study done on 140 transbronchial lung biopsies received for histopathological examination in the Department of Pathology for 1 year in a multispeciality tertiary care hospital, in Delhi. RESULTS: Out of 140 transbronchial lung biopsies studied, 13 cases of sarcoidosis were diagnosed histopathologically. In these patients a clinical, pathological, and radiological corelation was done. And a final diagnosis of sarcoidosis was given after excluding other granulomatous lesions. CONCLUSION: Transbronchial lung biopsies have become an important tool in the diagnosis of sarcoidosis in present time. Hence sarcoidosis should be considered as a differential diagnosis when dealing with granulomatous lesions in lung biopsies.