A 30-Year-Old Man With a History of Polysubstance Abuse and Hepatitis C Presents With Exertional Dyspnea and Patchy Ground-Glass Opacities

Delayed enhanced hepatosplenic sarcoid nodules on computed tomography in an interferon-naïve hepatitis C patient: a case report and review of the literature

A 77-year-old woman with chronic type C hepatitis was diagnosed with hypoechoic hepatosplenic nodules on ultrasonography. These lesions showed low density on precontrast computed tomography and delayed enhancement. Judging from laboratory data and images, the nodules were considered unlikely to represent malignancies and were followed conservatively. The hepatic lesions then increased in size and number. Sarcoidosis was diagnosed following liver biopsy. All nodules disappeared spontaneously within 6 years. Although some cases of interferon-induced sarcoidosis in patients with chronic hepatitis C or hepatitis C virus (HCV)-related cirrhosis have been reported recently, interferon-naïve cases are relatively rare. Delayed enhancement on computed tomography may reflect fibrosis of hepatic sarcoid lesions that have been histologically confirmed. Gastroenterologists managing patients with chronic HCV infection need to keep such cases in mind.

Sarcoidosis and hepatitis C: clinical description of 11 cases

BASIC: To describe the main characteristics and treatment of sarcoidosis in patients with chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection.

METHODS

Retrospective cohort study of patients with chronic HCV infection and sarcoidosis at our tertiary institution.

RESULTS

Eleven cases (eight women, three men) fulfilled the criteria for sarcoidosis. Four cases belong to our population of 3194 (0.12%) HCV patients seen in our department between 2001 and 2008. In five cases, sarcoidosis was triggered by antiviral therapy (consisted of interferon-alpha monotherapy in one case and combined therapy with interferon-alpha and ribavirin in four cases) and developed from 23 to 82 months after completion of therapy in three cases. For these patients, pulmonary adenopathies were found in three patients while two presented cutaneous involvement, one had uveitis and one presented both arthritis and extrapulmonary lymphadenopathies. Two patients received systemic corticosteroids with a favourable outcome. Four treatment-naive patients developed sarcoidosis. Two had pulmonary disease, one had medullar involvement, one had superficial lymphadenopathy and one had arthralgia. Three patients received systemic corticosteroids with chronic outcome in all cases. One of the two patients with an earlier history of sarcoidosis experienced a benign relapse that resolved spontaneously.

CONCLUSION

Clinical manifestations of sarcoidosis may occur in HCV patients, especially during or after treatment with immunotherapy. In our experience, sarcoidosis triggered by antiviral therapy was more frequent after completion of therapy, but concording with literature, presented a benign outcome. In sarcoidosis, seen in treatment-naive HCV patients, systemic corticosteroids had to be used more often and outcome was less favourable.

The Histology of Pulmonary Sarcoidosis: A Review with Particular Emphasis on Unusual and Underrecognized Features

The pathologist is frequently involved in the diagnostic approach to the patient with suspected sarcoidosis. Although the histologic diagnosis is generally not difficult, atypical and underrecognized features may occasionally occur and may result in diagnostic problems. The authors review the histology of pulmonary sarcoidosis, focusing particularly on these unusual problematic findings.