title: Bullous sarcoidosis: a report of three cases.
abstract: Three cases of pulmonary sarcoidosis presented as bullous emphysema with severe airflow obstruction, and the diagnosis of sarcoidosis was unsuspected for at least 2 years. Potential mechanisms of bullous emphysema from sarcoidosis are discussed. The physician should suspect sarcoidosis as the cause of bullous emphysema when young patients who have smoked relatively few pack-years present with emphysema or severe airflow obstruction. Additional clues are the presence of mediastinal adenopathy on a chest radiograph or a CT scan and a history consistent with extrapulmonary sarcoidosis.
authors.affiliation: Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston 29425, USA. judsonma@musc.edu
authors.forename: M A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Judson
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Strange
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011656:Pulmonary Emphysema / Q000150:complications* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology; D011859:Radiography; D017565:Sarcoidosis, Pulmonary / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology