Exertional Dyspnea Incidentally Diagnosed as Sarcoidosis: A Teaching Hospital Experience

Background. Sarcoidosis is a complex disease with nonspecific etiology and clinical presentation. Its diagnosis is often delayed due to the absence of a single specific investigation modality. A multidisciplinary approach is necessary for its diagnosis. Report. A 49-year-old male presented with recu...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Melvina Nartey, Kofi Ulzen-Appiah
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Wiley 2023-01-01
Series:Case Reports in Pulmonology
Online Access:http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2023/8689352
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Summary:Background. Sarcoidosis is a complex disease with nonspecific etiology and clinical presentation. Its diagnosis is often delayed due to the absence of a single specific investigation modality. A multidisciplinary approach is necessary for its diagnosis. Report. A 49-year-old male presented with recurrent dyspnea on exertion, easy fatigue, and chest pain after several visits to different health facilities over 5 months. A diagnosis of pulmonary sarcoidosis was made after a series of laboratory and imaging investigations were done revealing bilateral reticonodular opacifications, noncaseating granulomata, elevated serum ACE and calcium levels consistent with sarcoidosis. Conclusion. Sarcoidosis, although a rare presentation in our setting, may easily be overlooked or misdiagnosed if a holistic or multidisciplinary approach is not employed in its diagnosis. Nonspecificity of symptoms contributes to the delayed diagnosis.
ISSN:2090-6854